


Bottom of the Well

by SunshineOnACloudyDay



Series: The Lone Wolf, The Philanderer, and the Ashen Demon [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bisexual Sylvain Jose Gautier, Canon-Typical Violence, Familial Abuse, Female My Unit | Byleth, Minor My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan, My Unit | Byleth Has Emotions, One-Sided Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth, Other, POV Multiple, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), References to Depression, Slow Burn, Soft Felix Hugo Fraldarius
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:42:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 60
Words: 302,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24315997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunshineOnACloudyDay/pseuds/SunshineOnACloudyDay
Summary: The Blade Breaker, the Ashen Demon, and their group of mercenaries are hired by Margrave Gautier to help with problems at the Sreng border. When they arrive at the Gautier Estate they find that the worst has happened, the heir is missing. Byleth meets a young Felix and Sylvain, and confronts a younger Miklan before the events of the game.Five years later Byleth is hired as a professor at Garreg Mach Monastery and runs into Felix and Sylvain again. Angst ensues.Basically the Blue Lion kids all need hugs.There will be spoilers for the other routes. If you haven't played them... I will attempt to put warnings on the chapters.
Relationships: Felix Hugo Fraldarius/My Unit | Byleth, Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Sylvain Jose Gautier, Sylvain Jose Gautier/My Unit | Byleth
Series: The Lone Wolf, The Philanderer, and the Ashen Demon [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1825147
Comments: 300
Kudos: 304





	1. Chapter 1

Lone Moon

Imperial Year 1175

Gautier territory

~Byleth~

Even though it was the Lone Moon, everything surrounding Jeralt’s mercenary group was covered in ice and snow. The crunching sound of the steps of the mercenaries was the only thing breaking the silence. No one seemed to be in the mood to talk and joke the way they normally did, they were probably all too cold. The cold never seemed to bother Byleth as much as it did the others. The only time it was a problem was when her father would yell at her to put more layers on because she was “turning blue”. She just never seemed to feel it.

That was the way with most things, physical and emotional. To call her stoic would be a vast understatement. She was the “Ashen Demon”. The lovely moniker was given to her on a rescue mission when she happened to take an arrow to the shoulder and keep on fighting. The minor Alliance noble they had rescued seemed more afraid of her than his enemies by the end, but that didn’t really bother her. If anything the price for their services went up with most people because they were now hiring Jeralt the Blade Breaker AND the Ashen Demon.

One such person who could afford a contract was Margrave Gautier, a major Lord in The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. Apparently, they were having so much trouble at the border to Sreng they were bringing in outside help for the knights of the territory. It was a generous contract, one that they couldn’t afford to pass up. Byleth could tell her dad hated coming up to the Kingdom for some reason. If it was a small village that needed help he never seemed to mind, they would often do the work for rations and a place to stay. However, for some reason working with the Lords of the Kingdom always had him on edge.

Jeralt was not a very open person. It didn’t take long for Byleth to realize they were not like most father and daughter relationships. Neither of them were very affectionate. She called father by his name and he would call her “Kid”. They didn’t look anything alike, so outside of the mercenary group most didn’t even know they were family. They protected each other and that was the only thing that was really important.

Jeralt was even more on edge than normal. Walking beside him, Byleth reached out to touch his arm. “Something is off, Kid. I can feel it.” Turning to the rest of the group he yelled, “Everyone on guard. Something is up, we should have been greeted by now. Eyes up.” After another fifteen minutes of walking they could see the lights of the castle that belonged to Gautier. It was enormous, at least ten stories with towers on each side. It almost looked more like a watchtower than a home.

They were finally spotted by one of the knights at the gate and led into the compound. They were immediately shown into what seemed like a reception area of some sort and everyone was in hysterics. Jeralt was right, something is wrong. No one would give them any answers until they were brought before the Great Lord himself, Margrave Gautier. He towered above the others in the room with his shock of bright red curly hair that was peppered with grey. He had beautiful light brown eyes that were wide with fear. If he was showing it, something was definitely wrong. Directly to his right was a shorter man with wavy raven hair down to his shoulders and blue eyes. He seemed to be trying to keep the Margrave calm, but it wasn’t working. In the back of the room Byleth could see two women, one dressed in finery, the other in plainer clothes. The one dressed in fine clothes was inconsolable, crying into the other’s shoulder. _That must be the Margrave’s wife. What is going on?_

Their presence was finally announced by a young squire, before the boy promptly left the room. The Margrave and the kind-looking man with the raven hair finally turned to them and announced the situation. The heir to Gautier territory was missing, and had been since the early afternoon. As they were explaining the situation, a young man who looked to be a early twenties version of the Margrave walked into the room. Something about him sent shivers down Byleth’s spine. She considered herself a good judge of character just by looking at a person, and this man could not be trusted.

“Most of the knight’s have been dispatched all over the territory, father. Are you sure that that is a good idea with what is happening at the border? What if he just ran away?” The young man questioned.

“ENOUGH, Miklan! Go and help in the search or get out of my sight!” The Margrave was obviously not on good terms with his son, or maybe he was just too stressed about his heir to bother. Byleth nudged her father and tilted her head towards Miklan in a silent exchange to let him know she was going to follow him. Her father nodded discretely and began to speak with the Margrave and the man beside him to take the attention away from her so she could try to slip out.

As she was exiting the room as quietly as she could she, not quietly, bumped into a young boy just outside the door. He was… beautiful. He was a bit shorter than her, with a thin build, had chin-length raven hair just like the man next to the Margrave earlier, and amazing amber eyes that were red rimmed. The boy had obviously been crying. “Are you going to help look for Sylvain?” the boy asked while grabbing her by the hand. She was surprised by the physical contact, and even more surprised that she didn't mind it. All she could manage was a shrug.

“If you are looking I want to help. No one will let me help! He’s my best friend. I have to find him. He can’t be gone! Miklan was wrong, he wouldn't run away. At least not without telling me!” The beautiful boy started to cry. She nodded and tilted her head toward the hallway where the young man, Miklan, had disappeared. She put her finger over her lips and hoped the boy would understand that he needed to be as quiet as possible. He immediately stopped crying and quieted his breathing. It seemed he was serious about helping, at least.

They managed to catch up to Miklan while giving enough space where he didn’t seem to know they were there. He lead them out of the building and started to walk through what looked like a mostly frozen over garden. Byleth took a quick glance around. She could imagine this place being lovely under different circumstances. There was a gazebo off to the left that had torches lit and further down the path was an old wishing well before the path lead into the forest that surrounded the compound.

Byleth and the boy tried to stay as out of sight as possible as they followed Miklan. While they were hiding behind the well, the boy must have forgotten he was supposed to be quiet and spoke to Byleth. “Why are we following Miklan? Did he do something to Sylvain?” Byleth only gave him another shrug. “Do you talk? What’s your name? Why are you here? I’ve never seen you before!”

Just as Byleth was starting to get frustrated at all the questions while she was trying to be silent and keep an eye on Miklan they heard a voice. “Fe? Fe is that you?” the voice whispered.

Beautiful Boy next to her started frantically swinging his head around. Miklan had passed the treeline and she didn't see a good way to follow without getting caught, so Byleth turned her attention to the boy beside her. “SYL!!!” _Good thing they weren’t trying to sneak anymore._ “SYL! Where are you?!” Beautiful Boy was in hysterics now.

“Fe. I’m down here. Shhh!” the voice whispered.

Byleth nudged the boy, he was too busy leaning over the edge of the well to acknowledge her. _It must be the heir down there._ She ran back to the gazebo to grab one of the torches and ran back as fast as she could to the well. Beautiful Boy hadn't even realized she was gone. As soon as she put the torch over the hole she saw it, a shock of red hair just like the Margrave and that young man, Miklan. The boy was stuck about twenty feet down at the bottom of the old well and was soaking wet. If he has been gone since early afternoon, covered in water, in this weather we need to get him warm FAST.

“SYL! I can’t believe we found you!” Beautiful Boy was crying again. Byleth didn’t want to wait any longer and risk the boy at the bottom of the well getting any sicker than he probably was.

She grabbed Beautiful Boy by the shoulders, “Run back and grab as many of the mercenaries as you can. Grab rope and blankets and meet me here. I’ll stay and guard him. Understand?”

It took the poor boy a few seconds to calm down before he sprinted off, still sniffling, hopefully to follow her instructions. After a few seconds of quiet the boy in the well started to talk again. It was barely a whisper as he said, “You shouldn’t have come. If you had been just a little longer Miklan would have gotten everything he wanted, and everything would be better without me and this stupid Crest.” He sounded like he had been crying for a long time. He was horse and his teeth were clicking as he talked. _He must be freezing. I need to get him out of there NOW if we want a chance of him surviving._

She was trying to figure out what he meant when she heard running footsteps coming from the forest. Before she could draw the dagger on her belt she was tackled into the snow by someone a lot bigger than she was. When she was tackled, she dropped the torch and it went out as soon as it touched the snow. Thankfully the moon was bright enough that she could see her attacker’s face as he snarled down at her, it was Miklan. “What do you think you’re doing, little bitch? I haven’t seen you here before. Are you trying to play hero for the little piece of shit?” He spit in her face.

There was a burning sensation in Byleth’s chest when she spoke, “You did this”, she gritted out through her teeth. It wasn’t a question. She knew she was right about him.

She was at a severe disadvantage. Miklan was obviously a lot bigger than she was and her dagger was still in her belt. She could hear the boy in the well screaming hoarsely at Miklan, “It’s not her fault Miklan. Just let her go! It’s me you want. Don’t hurt her!” But Miklan wasn’t listening. He had a nasty look in his eyes as he looked over her that Byleth had been seeing for the last couple years as she had been maturing. It was not a good omen for where this fight was going. She tried to knee him in the groin but he was quick to pin her limbs.

Just before she could try anything else she felt more than saw someone try to tackle Miklan to the side. It was Beautiful Boy, he was back! He was too small to do anything, but it had been the perfect distraction for Byleth to free her right hand, grab her dagger, and slash it across Miklan’s face right between his eyes. She wouldn’t kill him. She knew if she killed a noble’s kid it wouldn’t end well. Not without proof that he had been the cause of all this.

Miklan roared as she rolled him off of her. She immediately placed herself between Miklan and Beautiful Boy, crouching in a defensive stance while clutching her dagger. Without looking she asked if he was alright, but she didn’t get an answer. She risked looking back and saw he was still conscious and watching her with wide eyes and his mouth open in awe. It looked like Miklan had hit him with his elbow when the boy had attempted to tackle him. As soon as she realized the boy didn’t need immediate help she turned her sights back on Miklan. The gash on his face had distracted him for a moment, but he was now barreling right toward her. She took the hilt of her dagger and swung it up as hard as she could so the butt of it connected with Miklan’s nose. When he ducked and put his hands to his face, she struck him in the back of the head, knocking him out.

As soon as Miklan dropped like a rock she heard Jeralt scream her name. He was heading out of the building with a group of the mercenaries and some of the knights of Gautier. The knights saw Miklan on the ground and were immediately in a defensive stance.

Jeralt grabbed the rope from one of the mercenaries and ran over to her. “Kid. What’s going on? Some boy came and said to grab rope and blankets and meet you out here. Did you find the heir?” She tilted her head toward the well and watched as the blood drained from his face. She grabbed the rope from his shoulder and tied it around her waist with a knot her father had taught her when she was young. She knew it would hold if they were careful. As soon as she knew it was secure she gave the other end to Jeralt and nodded. Jeralt got the attention of the other adults and everyone grabbed onto the rope. She spared a last glance at Beautiful Boy to make sure he was alright before climbing over the edge of the well and descending.

She couldn’t hear the heir, but she hoped she could wake him if he had passed out. When she was finally at the bottom she couldn’t see much in the darkness before someone at the top had the sense to put a torch over the hole like she had earlier. She couldn’t see much of his features because it was too dark, but he was awake. He was leaning against the wall staring forward at nothing with the dirty, freezing water up to his waist. He wouldn’t even look at her until she nudged him with her arm and whispered, “I need you to wrap your arms around my neck and hold on tight.” He complied without saying anything. He was freezing as he pressed his body against hers. After she tugged on the rope they finally started to ascend.

When they finally reached the top she took in the situation. Miklan was gone as well as some of the knights, though a few were still there. Beautiful Boy ran up to the heir as soon as they were standing and embraced him. The boy that had been at the bottom of the well was still quiet and didn’t seem to realize what was going on. After a few seconds he passed out, probably in shock from the cold. Beautiful Boy let out a yelp as he tried to catch the heir. Byleth felt a tightness in her chest as she watched him drop to the ground, then she was running at one of the knights who had the blankets and wrapping both boys in the them with more care than she ever remembered using. Beautiful Boy was watching the boy from the well anxiously as she checked them both over. The boy from the well was still breathing, but he would probably have a nasty fever if they didn't get him in fast. Jeralt’s eyes were wide when she finally glanced up at him, but he didn’t say anything.

She shook her head and said, "Can someone get these boys out of the cold?"

That was all it took for the knights to finally come back to their senses. Two of the men immediately walked over and grabbed the unconscious heir and started to carry him inside. Another walked over to Beautiful Boy and started to walk him back toward the building. She noticed he was crying again. Byleth hoped he wasn’t still sad. Before she could think anything else, one of the knights roughly grabbed her arms and tied her wrists. Jeralt and the mercenaries from their group immediately started protesting and asking what was going on. She made eye contact with Jeralt and shook her head.

She had expected this. She may have been trying to help, but she had still harmed Miklan, the son of a noble. She just hoped that once the Margrave understood the situation he would let her go.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Felix: 11  
> Sylvain:14  
> Byleth: 15  
> Miklan: 21

~Sylvain~

Sylvain woke with a groan to the late morning sun streaming through the curtains of his room. _How did I get here? What the hell happened?_ Then, in a rush, the memories came back to him. Miklan had asked him to go hunting with him, said it was going to be some good bonding time. _Man I was stupid._ As they were passing the old wishing well Miklan had thrown him in. He hit the bottom with a splash and realized that Miklan was already gone. He had waited for hours and hours but had never heard anyone go by. Eventually he had given up. _It would have been better if no one had found me. Miklan would have gotten everything he wanted and I wouldn't have to deal with all this pain anymore._ Then he remembered how scared Felix had sounded when he was talking to someone outside the well and had felt guilty enough to get his attention. Miklan had attacked someone who was trying to help him, _still don't know what happened to him,_ and then that girl had come down and dragged him out. He vaguely remembers hugging Fe for a second, and then nothing.

_Man. Miklan really went overboard this time. It's going to be hard to cover this one up._

Just as he was putting all the pieces together of the previous night, his mother opened the door. Sylvain loved his mother, he really did, but she was always so out of it. She never paid close enough attention to realize that Miklan had been terrorizing him since he was a toddler, and he resented her for it. He understood why Miklan felt the way he did. He had been born "wrong" and by some cruel twist of fate Sylvain had been born "right" due to his stupid Crest. He understood that Miklan had had his future stolen from him by chance, but it's not like it was Sylvain's fault. He didn't deserve all the kicks, bruises, bugs in his bed, and every other form of abuse that had been his life ever since he could remember. And now, Miklan had gone too far. He had tried to kill Sylvain. Sylvain would have died if Fe and that girl hadn't found him. 

"How are you feeling?" His mother finally asked. "Terrible" was the only reply he could croak out. His mother rushed over to the other side of the room and grabbed a cup of water off of a tray that looked like it had breakfast on it. "Drink this and then you should try to eat something. As soon as you are feeling up for it I think you'll want to know what is going on in your father's study right now." _What?_ He raised an eyebrow to his mother but she didn't bother to give anymore information. He drank the water and took a few bites of the food before his curiosity got the better of him. He nodded to his mother and she wrapped her arm around his shoulders to help him out of the room. _When did I get taller than mother?_

When they finally made it into his father's study, the scene was chaotic. There was a mountain of a man standing in front of his father's desk yelling at his father, there was a girl in a chair in the corner with her hands and feet bound who was staring at the floor, Felix was clutching her shoulders crying and whimpering. Lord Rodrigue was near Felix trying and failing to console him, and Miklan was sitting behind his father looking smug, even with the massive gash that was definitely going to leave a scar on his face. That is, until Sylvain met his eyes and his face lit up with anger like it normally did when they made eye contact.

The sound of the door closing seemed to alert everyone to the fact that someone else was in the room. Felix immediately threw himself at Sylvain, still crying. Fe was clutching at him like if he let go Sylvain would disappear, and it was enough to make Sylvain feel guilty about being disappointed Miklan had failed. Rodrigue looked on with a weird look on his face, like he was conflicted on something. Who knows what. The sandy blond warrior dude whipped around to stare at him. This guy was huge, bigger than Miklan and his dad. He had a braid in the back of his hair and scars all over his body. He seemed stressed and angry, but when he made eye contact with Sylvain his face notably softened. _Ah, pity. Great._ The girl in the chair still hadn't raised her head. She seemed to be avoiding looking at anyone. Without seeing her face it was obvious she was a fighter. She looked young, maybe his age, but she had a few scars on her muscular arms and legs that signified she was a fighter of some kind. She had beautiful wavy dark blue hair that was currently covering her face. Was this the girl that had saved him? Why was she bound?

Sylvain's dad was the first to break the new silence, "Ah. Sylvain. How are you feeling? You gave us all quite a scare being gone for hours, and then that nasty fever last night. Are you feeling well enough to clear some things up for us?

 _Oh shit._ "What do you mean, father? What needs to be cleared up?" Sylvain managed to choke out. _This is not good. This is not good. This is not good._

The Margrave cleared his throat before finally leveling Sylvain with a stare. "Miklan states that he happened upon this girl here" he gestured to the girl that was bound in the chair "pushing you into the old wishing well. When he tried to confront her she viciously slashed at his face, broke his nose, and knocked him out."

Felix stiffened in Sylvain's arms. He cried out, "That's not true! He's lying to everyone! He did this and he knows it!" Felix stalked over to the girl and stood in front of her protectively like he, as a young boy, could do anything to defend her against his father. _Dang. Wonder what happened there. Usually Fe is way too scared of other people to do anything like that._

Sylvain shook his head while his father spoke up again. "Felix, we have heard your side of the story, however you are young. You may have misinterpreted the situation. You are so brave to stand up for the girl, but we need to make sure she didn't do anything wrong. She won't tell us her side of the story and..."

The blond hair guy cut his father off with an aggressive clearing of his throat. "I already explained that to you. Byleth doesn't talk as much as other kids her age do, she's always been like that. She arrived at your estate with the rest of us. How could she be the one who is responsible for the kid being missing for several hours before we were even here? She split off to start looking while we were talking and must have found him. If she hurt your son it would only be because she was provoked. She doesn't hurt people on a whim, I trained her better than that." _Dang. This guy has guts. He just interrupted father and spoke to him like he was any other person. Who is this guy?_

"Sylvain. Meet Jeralt the Blade Breaker.."

Sylvain was the one to cut father off this time. "Wait... THE Blade Breaker?! Is here?! You're the Blade Breaker?!" He looked to Felix who was nodding enthusiastically. Both of them had heard the stories about this guy. He was a legend. What was he doing here in Gautier territory and what did he have to do with the girl in the chair?

His father was losing patience now, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Sylvain. This is very important. I need you to understand what is happening here. If this girl pushed you into the well and attacked Miklan she will be executed." Sylvain gulped. "Trying to kill two sons of a major house does not come without consequences. You need to tell me what happened to you and you need to be completely honest. Spare no detail, lives are on the line here, do you understand?"

 _Well shit. It's either tell his dad Miklan had tried to kill him and risk further worse abuse to get the girl who had saved him out of trouble, or continue covering for Miklan and continue suffering and the girl will be killed for something she didn't even do._ Just as he was about to answer the girl finally lifted her head enough that he could see her face. Sylvain's breath hitched in his throat. She was beautiful. She had big purpleish blue eyes that were clear and bright, and pink full lips. However, the look on her face was weird, it was almost like a mask. You would think that she would look distressed because they were discussing whether she was going to die or not. Her life was literally determined by Sylvain's next words, but she just stared at him with a tiny crinkle between her brows like he had just asked her what the weather was like outside. _What is up with this girl?_

Sylvian shook his head again. _Why do I have to do this? Why me?_ "Father, this girl saved me. She did nothing to harm me. She's the one who came into the well to drag me out. Let her go."

His father heaved a heavy sigh and dragged his hands down his face. "I'm afraid it's not that simple, son. It doesn't explain why you were in the wishing well, why you almost died, or why she attacked Miklan. Do you have any information you can give us to clear up any of that?" Sylvain felt his face pale, he was hoping that was going to be enough to get the girl out of here so he didn't have to tell his dad about Miklan.

Oddly enough, it was the girl who spoke up. With a cute tilt of her head she stared at Sylvain and almost in a whisper said, "Has he been hurting you for a long time? Is that why you said what you did in the well?" Almost everyone's head turned to Sylvain. Miklan was glaring daggers at him, Rodrigue was looking at him with sympathy, Felix was nodding at him to tell everyone (of course he knew, they've been friends since he was born. Felix had been trying to get him to tell on Miklan for years), his dad was staring at him with a sad look on his face, but the Blade Breaker was staring at the girl like she had grown a second head.

All Sylvain could do was nod.

"Guards!" His father was standing now and yelling at the door. "Take Miklan to the edge of the territory, and make sure he leaves. Let everyone know that if he is seen again, he is to be arrested and brought back here to stand trial. Is that clear?"

There was a nod of confirmation from the two men who hesitantly walked toward Miklan, but before they could even get close Miklan was lunging out from behind the desk to get to Sylvain. With his hands around Sylvain's throat he yelled, "This is all your fault, you piece of shit. None of this would have happened if you hadn't been born with..."

He didn't have a chance to get another word out before there was a rope around his neck and his eyes were bulging. Sylvain finally got enough air to his brain to realize that the girl had lunged from her seat and had jumped high enough to get her bindings around Miklan's neck. She pulled him to the ground, put her knee on his chest with the bindings still on his neck and growled, "You will never touch him again. If you do, I will find you, and I will kill you. Do you understand?"

The Blade Breaker was the quickest to react, he grabbed her shoulders and lifted her off while looking sincerely confused. The guards dragged Miklan off the ground still gasping for air. As soon as he got enough air to talk he was screaming the whole way out, "You'll pay for this. You'll all pay."

There were several seconds of silence after the screams could no longer be heard. The girl came over to look at him with that same crinkle between her brow. She put her hands that were still bound on top of his head and ruffled his hair like his mother sometimes would, and then stepped back to the Blade Breaker's side. The Blade Breaker looked even more confused than he did when he had pulled her off of Miklan. Felix was looking at her with his eyes shining with unshed tears and admiration, and Rodrigue looked strangely amused.

Finally, father cleared his throat and said, "Sylvain. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He then walked out of the room without another word.

Rodrigue took a dagger from his side and cut the bindings on the girls hands and feet. He then looked at the girl and said, "I would like to speak with you later, if that is alright. For now, you and your father should go and get some rest. I'm sure you didn't get much sleep in that cold cell last night." _Wait, father? Is that girl the Blade Breaker's daughter?_ She only nodded and then with one last look at Felix and Sylvain walked out of the room. The Blade Breaker gave an awkward bow and rushed out after her.

Rodrigue then turned to Sylvain and placed his hands on his shoulders. After a heavy sigh he said, "That must have taken a lot to admit. You are a brave young man. You are safe now. Why don't you and Felix go up to your room and get some more rest. I'm going to go and speak with your parents." And with one more heavier sigh he left.

_I'm safe. I'm safe. I'm safe. When was the last time I was safe?_


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soft Felix and Rodrigue before everything goes to crap after Duscur. I love Rodrigue. I really do. He made a dumb mistake with how he handled Felix after Glenn died, but the poor guy was also grieving! Not that he really gets a pass. He messed Felix up and then was too much of a chicken to try and patch things up. ~sigh~ Oh the beautiful father/son relationship that should have been. But, ya know, ANGST.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Felix: 11  
> Sylvain: 14  
> Byleth: 15

~Felix~

_It has been a crazy couple of days. Sylvain went missing, I got to meet Byleth, and now Miklan is finally going to be gone and Sylvain is finally going to be safe._

Just as Felix was starting to celebrate that the Margrave was exiling Miklan and likely letting Byleth go, Miklan lunged out from behind the desk and grabbed Sylvain around the neck. All Felix could do was look on in horror until he heard a sound just behind him. Byleth hopped into his field of vision, her ankles were still bound, jumped into the air and wrapped the ropes that were around her wrists around Miklan's neck. In one fluid motion she tackled him to the ground and had him pinned. _She is INCREDIBLE. I knew she could fight after last night, but taking down someone twice her size while bound? She is INCREDIBLE!_

He shook his head to clear his mind of that thought in time to hear what she said. "You will never touch him again. If you do, I will find you, and I will kill you. Do you understand?" _SHE IS AMAZING! Glenn would love her. No... Glenn can't meet her. That's a terrible idea._ Felix was watching Byleth in awe. She was beautiful, but not like any of the other girls Felix had met. His mom was beautiful as well, but Byleth was... different. While his mom and the other girls he had met were soft and always had nice things on, Byleth was tough and strong. She had pretty blue hair, and her eyes always seemed to be shining. She was obviously a fighter, and she was incredibly strong and brave. She had already saved Sylvain's life twice and they had known her for less than twenty-four hours! And now she wanted to keep Sylvain safe! He would FINALLY be safe from Miklan. _I've been wanting to protect him for years... at least she's strong enough to._ He was ripped out of those thoughts by Byleth lifting her hands and rubbing Sylvain's hair. Felix's chest felt tight, but he didn't know why.

He realized he was still staring and turned toward his dad. His dad was looking at him with a look that he didn't quite understand. But dad was smiling, so maybe he was just happy that Sylvain was safe, too. Dad left his side to go over to Byleth and cut her loose. He then leaned down to look in her eyes and said, "I would like to speak with you later if that is alright. For now you and your father should go and get some rest. I'm sure you didn't get much sleep in that cold cell last night." Byleth looked over to Felix and Felix felt his cheeks warm. She then looked at Sylvain and left the room.

Felix let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding and slouched a little bit. _I am so tired._ Felix glanced at Sylvain and realized that he hadn't moved since Miklan had grabbed him. He still had a hand near his throat and his eyes looked... strangely empty? This wasn't normal Sylvain. He had been through a lot over the last couple days, but normally he would just laugh and joke whenever it came to Miklan hurting him. It had been happening for as long as Felix could remember, bruises in various places of various size and shapes he would see when Sylvain was changing. Sometimes Felix would accidentally hit one of them while they were sparring and he always felt bad. Whenever he would bring up telling Sylvain's parents, Sylvain would panic. Felix never really understood, but when Sylvain asked him to keep it a secret he did. That's what you do for your best friends... right? But this time Miklan was ready to let him die. Felix might be a kid, but he realized how serious it had been that Sylvain had been out in the cold for so long. If he and Byleth hadn't found him...

Dad then walked over to Sylvain and put his hands on his shoulders. This seemed to bring Sylvain's focus back to the present, and he looked at Rodrigue. "That must have taken a lot to admit. You are a brave young man. You are safe now. Why don't you and Felix go up to your room and get some more rest. I'm going to go and speak with your parents." With a heavy sigh he left the room and it was just Felix and Sylvain.

As soon as dad left Sylvain's eyes looked empty again. He was just staring at the wall with one of his hands still near his throat, like he could still the pressure from Miklan or something. He was way too pale and he looked awful. Sylvain was always beautiful, he had brilliant red hair and the prettiest light brown eyes that always looked like they were laughing, but that was gone. He looked so... broken.

Felix walked over, wrapped his arms around Sylvain's waist, and buried his head in his chest. Sylvain had always been taller than Felix, especially lately since he always seemed to be growing. It took Syl a moment to react, but then Felix could feel his arms around him. Felix felt a lump in his throat and tears started to burn his eyes again. _Why am I always crying. Stop being such a cry baby. Syl is obviously sad, say something to make him feel better._

He cleared his throat to try and get the lump to go away and said, "Syl... I'm so happy you're safe now..." Syl just patted his head for a second and dropped his arms. Felix took the opportunity and grabbed his hand, interlacing their fingers, and dragged Syl back to his room. As soon as they got there, Felix nodded his head toward the bed, but Syl still had that empty look and didn't seem to see. With their finger still interlaced Felix pulled him over to the bed and pushed him until he was finally laying down. Then Felix crawled in beside him, took off both of their boots and threw them toward the door. He took a few blankets and put them over both of them and squirmed until he was at Sylvain's side.

They would do this all the time whenever they would stay at the other's estate. One of them would sneak out and crawl into bed with the other. It always felt safe, and it always seemed to make Sylvain relax a little more. Maybe it was because of Miklan. Felix didn't think much more on it before he drifted off to sleep.

Felix woke up to sunset colors peaking through the curtains of Sylvain's room, and realized they must have been sleeping for several hours. He jerked up at a knock at the door. He looked over and saw that Syl was still sleeping, but he had a crinkle between his eyebrows that he always got when he was worried about something. Felix crawled away as quietly as he could to avoid waking Sylvain and crept toward the door. He opened it to find his father there.

Dad smiled at him and asked, "How is he, Felix?"

Felix looked at the floor for a while, thinking, and finally said, "He's been sleeping. I'm worried about him, though. His eyes don't even look like his anymore. They looked so... empty. I was so happy that Miklan is finally gone and Sylvain is finally going to be safe, but I don't know what Syl thinks about everything that has happened and it kind of scares me."

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see his dad looking at him with tears in his eyes. "I know how much you love Sylvain, Felix. You kids have been friends for a long time, and I'm sure if anyone can help him through everything that has happened, it would be you. However, it's important that we don't push him too hard. Sylvain has always had to live with this fear. I'm sure it has affected him in many ways that not even he knows. I think maybe you should stay here while I go to help the Margrave at the border. Maybe with you here he can have a bit of comfort. How does that sound?"

All Felix could manage was a nod. That lump in his throat was back and his eyes were burning again. _Dang it._ His father began to speak again, "My sweet boy, you are so much like your mother. You have her eyes, and more importantly you have her heart. You worry about others, sometimes more than you worry about yourself. It's very brave, and I love you. Do you know that?" Felix nodded again but couldn't look at his dad. He looked down at the floor as the tears made their way down his cheeks. His dad hugged him and then cleared his throat. "Well I've been told that dinner will be in about thirty minutes. I'm going to go and have a chat with Byleth and bring her and her father to dinner with us. How about you go and wake Sylvain and see if he wants to come down too?"

Felix nodded and then remembered that his dad had told Byleth earlier that he wanted to speak with her. "What are you going to speak with Byleth about, father?" His dad chuckled and raised a hand to stroke his hair. "It's about business, Felix. I'm sure you'll hear about it later." With a grin he turned and walked down the hall.

Felix walked back into the room and crawled back into bed. He sat against the head of the bed and looked down at Sylvain. He seemed to still be sleeping, and he still had the wrinkle in his brow. Before Felix could really think about it, he reached forward and rubbed his finger on the wrinkle. It went away for a while and Sylvain seemed to relax for a second before his eyes began to open. Felix was still hovering over him with his hand extended, and didn't even think to move.

Sylvain cleared his throat. "Hey Fe, is everything okay? You look worried."

Felix felt that stupid lump and tried to swallow it down. "Of course I'm worried, Syl. You're my best friend and you were in danger. There was nothing I could do to help and it was horrible. You almost DIED, Syl. What would I do without you?" Syl's face went pale and he wouldn't look at Felix. He was starting to get that empty look in his eyes again and Felix panicked. Felix put a hand on each side of Sylvain's face and amber eyes met light brown.

"I want you to make me a promise, Syl. Promise me we are going to stick together, always. We are going to stick together until we die together, okay? You can't leave me and I can't leave you, okay?" Sylvain's eyes went wide and his mouth opened and shut for a while. Felix slid his hands away from Sylvain's face slowly to make sure he wasn't going to look away again. "I want you to promise me, Syl. Last night was awful. I know we can't always control whether we are in danger or not, and I know I'm just a kid or whatever, but I want to protect you. You are my best friend, I want you to be safe." He sat back on his knees and began to cry again.

After a couple seconds, Sylvain sat up and Felix could feel his arms around him. "I promise, Fe. I promise we'll always stick together, alright?" They sat in their embrace for a couple minutes until Felix could calm down again.

Felix wiped his face with his sleeve and looked up at Sylvain. "My dad came by and told me it's almost dinner time. Will you come down with me? He said he was going to bring Byleth and the Blade Breaker, too! We can finally officially meet them! So much has happened over the last two days, I don't think we have even properly exchanged names. It's weird." Felix began to laugh until he looked up and Sylvain had a weird expression on his face. Felix squeezed his hand to make Sylvain look at him. "What's wrong, Syl?"

Sylvain sighed and his shoulders dropped. "I don't know if I want to meet her, Fe. I just don't know how I feel about this. And I really don't want to see my parents. I don't think I'm ready to deal with any of this. Will you just tell them I'm still tired and I want to rest some more? I can have one of the servants bring me dinner here... and then will you come back? I don't want to be alone."

Felix wanted to object, but Sylvain looked so sad. He sighed and whispered, "Alright Syl, of course I'll come back. But, I do think you should meet Byleth eventually. She isn't like the other kids, but she seems kind and she's really brave. You should have seen her fight Miklan. She's amazing!" Sylvain's eyes went dark for a second, but then it was gone before Felix could figure out what it was.

"Fe, just go. I'm sure I'll meet her eventually, okay? I just want to sleep some more." Before Felix could say anything Sylvain turned over and pulled the blankets over his head.

Felix crawled out of bed and walked toward the door. With his hand on the knob, he turned toward Sylvain and whispered, "I'm glad you're safe Syl" and left.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Protective and confused Father Jeralt in all his glory. Dinner with the Lords and Felix is all about that puppy love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Headcanon: I figure Jeralt would be hesitant to work with the Lords of the Kingdom because the Kingdom is closely affiliated with the church. Working with little villages to help them out is one thing, but the crew has to eat so he risked the good pay contract with a Lord to get things back on track. Jeralt is trying to keep Byleth away from the church and Rhea, but doesn't give her any details because he's worried she'll be curious about their past and go digging.
> 
> The emotions that Byleth is semi-feeling right now is due to Sothis stirring. Right time, right place sort of deal. The dreams will get more and more frequent until the day she meets Dimitri, Claude, and Edelgard.

~Byleth~

She was having that strange dream again. The last couple of years she had had it a handful of times, but it seemed to be happening every couple months now. It was always the same. All she would see was darkness until she turned and saw green light in the distance. As she walked forward she would always see a set of stairs leading up to a stone throne with a weird symbol near the top of it. There was always a girl with long green hair sleeping sideways on the throne. Her hair was almost as long as her body with ribbons braided through and pointed ears sticking out. She wore a blue garbs that were unlike anything Byleth had seen in any of her travels and she had bangles on her wrists and ankles. She looked like she wasn't quite human. Every time Byleth had had this dream she would try to wake the girl, but the girl would never respond. This time she didn't even bother, she sat on the top stair and waited to wake up. After a while of sitting and waiting she heard rustling behind her, and she turned as quickly as possible to see the girl stirring in the throne. She looked like she was trying to wake up! Byleth got to her feet and walked over to shake the girl's shoulders, trying to help. The girl still stirred but wouldn't open her eyes. Byleth felt a weird fluttering in her chest. After a couple moments the girl whispered in her sleep, "...almost time... still too sleepy..." and went still. The fluttering in her chest stopped as Byleth began to wake.

"Kid. Kid wake up!" Byleth shot into a sitting position and looked over to see her dad sitting beside her with his hand on her shoulder. He looked worried. "You were asleep for a long time. Are you okay? It took a lot longer to wake you than it normally does."

She frowned at her knees for a while, debating whether to tell her father about her dream. She finally managed to look up at her father and said, "I was having that dream again. The one about the girl with the long green hair..." Her father nodded his head for her to continue "...it was a little different this time, though. Normally I shake her but she won't move or wake up. This time it looked like she was trying to wake but she couldn't. And when she started to move I felt this weird... fluttering in my chest. She started to whisper but all I heard was "almost time and still too sleepy" and then she stopped moving and the fluttering feeling in my chest stopped and I woke up to you, here."

Jeralt took his hand and put it over her chest where her heartbeat would be if she had one. He stayed silent for a moment before he sighed and said, "I guess your heart wouldn't randomly start beating after everything. But you said you felt a fluttering in your chest... and you have been acting kind of weird over the last couple days. Especially around those other kids. Are you feeling okay?"

Byleth tilted her head and put it on her fist while she thought about it. "Well, when that older boy tackled me by the well and started insulting the boy in the well I felt this weird bubbling heat in my chest..."

"...that sounds like you were angry, kiddo." Jeralt was giving her a weird look.

"I guess that sounds right. It was right when I realized he was the one that was responsible for his brother being down there. It wasn't like anything I've ever felt before. And then when we were with the Margrave and the older boy started choking his younger brother there was this weird tightness.." she rubbed her chest when she remembered the feeling "and it got hard to breathe for a second." She paused and looked at her dad hoping he would know what she was talking about.

"Well kiddo... that sounds like you were scared..."

She nodded to herself and spoke again, "That sounds right as well. Then the tightness went away and the heat was back... but it was so much worse this time. I grabbed the older boy and I wanted to hurt him so he would never hurt the boy from the well ever again. It was.. weird."

Jeralt just searched her face for a moment and sighed. "It sounds like you were scared for the young one, and then you were being protective. I've never seen you so... emotive before. Not to mention this is the most you have talked in... actually this is the most you have talked, ever. The way you took down Miklan and threatened him was... intense. Not that I blame you. This whole situation has been so messed up. I don't know how his parents didn't realize and take care of this sooner. Speaking of which... how did you realize that Miklan had been hurting him for a long time? Did the boy say something while you were down in the well with him?"

Byleth shook her head and shrugged. "It was just something in his eyes. He looked so... scared and empty. I don't know how to explain how I knew. It was just like how I knew that older boy, Miklan, was someone I needed to watch. It was just a... feeling?"

Jeralt continued to stare at her for a while and then stood. "Lord Rodrigue Fraldarius was the other man in the room. The one who said he wanted to speak with you?" She nodded that she understood. "Anyway he came by a couple minutes ago and wanted to chat but I told him you were still asleep. He invited us to dinner with the Gautiers and his son so you should probably get ready. There's a washbasin through there, kiddo."

She jolted to standing, "Wait! Beautiful Boy is going to be there? And the boy from the well?"

Jeralt narrowed his eyes and mumbled something angry under his breath before saying, "We need to work on your nicknames kiddo. What do you mean "beautiful boy"? I'm assuming Sylvain Gautier is boy from the well for obvious reasons..."

Byleth realized her nickname might be weird but it was really the only thing she could think of "...Well Beautiful Boy is the one I met while I was looking. I mean.. you saw him, right? He has the long raven hair and amber eyes. I guess Sylvain is pretty too. He has that vibrant red hair and his eyes kind of look like this caramel candies you get me sometimes..."

Jeralt held up his hand to stop her. "Alright kid. That's enough. I'm assuming you mean Felix Fraldarius, he is the son of Lord Fraldarius. I spoke with him and the Margrave last night while I was trying to get you out of this mess. The only reason I know Felix's name is because he was so determined to try and tell the Margrave everything he knew. Poor boy was a mess." Jeralt shook his head and rubbed his hands over his face. He grabbed Byleth's shoulders and gave her a serious stare.

"Look kid. I know you like those boys, it's totally natural for you to feel closer because they are closer to your age but we need to be very careful. I don't know what Lord Rodrigue wants from you, and that makes me nervous. If I had known all of this would happen and that you would get so protective I never would have brought you here... Though it's nice to see you having some sort of emotion. Even if it is about boys of all things." He rolled his eyes. "I really just want you to be on your guard, okay? We need to get this contract done and get out of the Kingdom and away from these Lords while we still can. Don't ask me why... I just need you to trust me on this... please?"

Her father had that strange look of hurt in his eyes that she had seen before and she didn't like it. She put her hand on his shoulder and nodded. "I'll be careful, I promise. Can I still talk to Felix and Sylvain, though? Just while we are here? I've never really had friends before... but they seem nice? And at least Felix doesn't act like he is scared of me like the children in all the villages usually do."

Jeralt narrowed his eyes and mumbled something angry under his breath again and looked at her. Whatever he saw must have changed his mind because his eyes softened and he nodded. "Now you really need to go and get ready, kid. We are going to be late." She sprinted into the washroom to get ready.

When she was done washing off the sweat and grime from the last couple days, she walked back into the room and saw her dad in the doorway talking to a servant. He looked up as she entered and said, "Finally! We are definitely late now, kiddo. This kid is here to take us to dinner. Isn't that right?" He looked at the young boy and the boy nodded.

"I was only waiting a little while. It's not a problem, I promise, Sir Jeralt and Miss Byleth."

Jeralt chuckled and ruffled his hair, "It's just Jeralt and just Byleth, kid. It's alright, we are no one special. Can you take us to dinner now?" The boy smiled and nodded.

They walked for quite some time to get to the dining room. The Gautier house was massive. Byleth realized then that these Lords must have a lot power within the Kingdom and that must be why Jeralt seemed so worried about the whole situation. _I wonder what Lord Fraldarius could possibly want from me, though._ They stood in front of a set of oak doors that had intricate carvings of the different symbols of the Holy Kingdom with the boy that had escorted them went in to announce them.

When they walked in, Byleth was immediately tackled into a hug by the woman that had been crying in the back of the room the night before. Her eyes were misty-looking when she finally raised her head to look at Byleth. She put her hands on each side of her cheeks and said, "I can not thank you enough for what you have done for Sylvain. Thank you for helping where we have failed." She let go of Byleth and looked really sad suddenly. Byleth put a hand on her arm and nodded. They knew they had failed and felt guilty for it. That was all that mattered to her.

As soon as Sylvain's mom backed away she immediately felt someone latch onto her arm. She looked down to see Beautiful Boy, Felix, grinning up at her. "You're finally here! We were waiting for you!" She patted his head slowly and his grin grew a bit and his cheeks had a tinge of pink on them. She heard a chuckle and looked over to see Lord Rodrigue watching Felix with an amused expression. She did an awkward bow she had seen her Father do and nodded to the Lord.

He put up his hand and chuckled again, "There is no need for that, Byleth. We are obviously happy to have you here. Why don't you come and have a seat near Felix, if that pleases you?" She nodded and let herself be dragged along with her father following close behind. 

At the head of the table stood Margrave Gautier. He seemed hesitant to join in the small throng of people surrounding Byleth. As soon as his wife sat down in the seat beside him he had a small smile on his face, nodded to Byleth, and sat down while grabbing his wife's hand. Byleth did the awkward bow again because wasn't sure what to do and then sat beside Felix. Felix was still holding onto her arm until both Jeralt and Lord Rodrigue cleared their throats, Lord Rodrigue with a nod toward Byleth's arm, and he finally let go with more pink in his cheeks. Byleth was just happy to see that he wasn't sad anymore. She looked around for Sylvain and didn't see him. She felt the tightness in her chest a little bit again. _Maybe he is still tired, or isn't feeling well and that's why he's gone._ She didn't want to bring it up to the Lords, just in case.

The meal that they brought was delicious. Byleth didn't think she had ever had the opportunity to eat this much good food before. She was eating as much as she could until she heard Jeralt clear his throat again and he gave a small shake of his head to tell her that was enough. She didn't know why, but figured he had his reasons and she just finished what she had on her plate. As soon as she had wiped her mouth and put down the napkin Lord Fraldarius began to speak. "Byleth, I believe I speak for all of us when I say that we are so pleased that you are here. You were very brave to help Sylvain both last night and this morning and we are all so happy that he is safe. He is still feeling very tired from this whole ordeal, so he was unable to join us tonight." Felix had a small frown on his face when Byleth looked over, but when he met her eyes it was replaced with a big grin.

She nodded her head to Lord Rodrigue and said, "I'm just glad that I could help. Felix did a lot, as well. He ran back to get help after we found Sylvain and he even tried to get Miklan off of me. It's because of him I didn't sustain any injuries from Miklan's attack." The Lord Gautier and his wife each had a dark look in their eyes when Byleth glanced at their faces. She felt bad for upsetting them so she turned to Felix. "You were very brave. I bet if you keep training and getting stronger, you won't even need me there next time."

Felix's eyes went wide and he leaned toward Byleth and almost in a whisper asked, "Do you really think I could be as strong as you some day? You were... amazing." His cheeks were pink again and he turned his face away.

She nodded her head and looked toward her father. "I have been training with Jeralt for as long as I can remember so I can protect myself and those around me." She turned back to see Felix staring at her again. "If you work really really hard, I'm sure you could be even stronger than I am." His cheeks were pink again and she wondered if maybe he was coming down with a fever from being in the cold. "Are you feeling alright, Felix? You aren't feeling sick from being in the cold last night, are you?" He shook his head and looked away.

Lord Rodrigue chuckled again and looked at his son. "Felix started working with real swords last year, up until then everything had been about form with training swords. He was working with his older brother Glenn, but Glenn has since been knighted and works protecting His Highness at Castle Blaiddyd. Felix has been stuck with me and some of the other knights as his teachers ever since he left. He has been doing rather well, though." Felix was grinning and looking at his father with pride.

"My weapon of choice is the sword as well! Jeralt prefers the lance, but I'm better with a sword." She added.

Felix looked over at Byleth and visibly straightened his shoulders and spoke proudly, "We should spar before you leave! You can teach me some of what you know!"

Byleth shook her head, "Unfortunately I'll be leaving with my father to help at the border soon. I'm not sure I'll be able to spar with you."

Lord Rodrigue looked surprised. "You already fight with your father's mercenary company then?"

The Margrave cleared his throat and gestured toward Byleth, "Rodrigue, you are currently speaking with the Ashen Demon. Right hand man to the Blade Breaker. She has already made a name for herself in Fodlan. It's mostly rumors and speculation, but even I had heard of her prowess when I hired their company. I must admit Byleth was not what I imagined when I heard the stories."

Lord Rodrigue looked confused when she looked over to him. All she could do to answer was shrug. Lord Rodrigue shook his head and searched her face. "You are the Ashen Demon? You look so young. How old are you?" She shrugged again and Lord Rodrigue looked even more confused. He then shifted his attention to Jeralt who sighed.

"We don't really keep track of birthdays. I'm not sure how old either of us are. She's probably at least 14 or 15... don't you think kiddo?" She just shrugged again. It had never really mattered to her.

Lord Rodrigue laughed and shook his head. "You two are certainly an odd pair. I will give you that. However old you are Byleth, your skill is without question. You were able to fend off a man twice your size with only a dagger the first time, and while bound the second time. It is for this reason I was hoping to speak to you about becoming Felix's personal knight." Byleth could feel Jeralt stiffen beside her.

Felix jumped out of his chair and turned to his father and shouted, "Really?! Do you mean it?! Is that the business that you wanted to talk to By about?" He turned toward Byleth before quickly saying "Sorry can I call you that? Can I call you By? I call Sylvain Syl and By seemed to fit you." Byleth could only shrug and nod.

Sylvain's mother then cleared her throat and spoke for the first time since their more private conversation earlier. "We would also be more than willing to hire you here, to watch over Sylvain. From what I hear from my husband you were very quick to protect him from Miklan this morning." Her eyes were misty like she might start crying again. Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper as she said, "I also hear he has threatened to continue to hurt Sylvain. We can not fail him again. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to retire for the night." She stood from the table with a nod and left the room.

The Margrave looked pale when Byleth looked at him. He shook his head and spoke, "She's correct. Your services would be invaluable when it comes to keeping Sylvain safe. You have already proved yourself immeasurably."

Byleth looked down at her empty plate in front of her in thought. Her father had already said that they needed to finish the contract and get out of the area, but he had not provided any reason. She liked the thought of staying with Felix or Sylvain, but she knew it would upset her father and she would miss him terribly. When she raised her head she realized all of the men in the room were looking at her. She glanced at her father and immediately noticed how scared he looked. She couldn't leave him.

She looked back at Lord Rodrigue and Margrave Gautier and said, "You are very kind to offer, but I can't leave my father. He is all I have." Felix looked devastated and she felt that tightness in her chest again. "I'll make sure I spar with you before I leave and I'll teach you as much as I can, I'm sure that would be alright, right father?" She looked toward her father who looked a lot more content now and he nodded.

Lord Rodrigue cleared his throat and smiled, "I have an idea. What if while Jeralt and the mercenaries work at the border, you stay here with the boys and train them? The conflict at the border should be a couple weeks at most, I'm sure that Felix and Sylvain could learn much from someone of your prowess. What do you think, Gautier? I'll pay her an additional fee if you can find a place for her to stay while we are at the border? I'm sure your wife could keep an eye out for them? If it is agreeable with Jeralt of course." He looked pointedly at her father.

She looked over and Jeralt, who searched her face like he had before. He found whatever he was looking for because he set his lips in a thin line and nodded.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sylvain is trying to come to terms with everything that has happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Felix: 11  
> Sylvain: 14  
> Byleth: 15  
> (Based off of canon date of birth. Byleth doesn't quite know how old she is.)
> 
> Headcanon: Sylvain's mother has depression and due to that she's never been super emotionally available for her sons. She loves them both deeply and is taking the Miklan being exiled thing really hard. She agrees it needed to be done, but it's hard to lose a child, no matter the circumstances.

~Sylvain~

The days after the attack were a blur for Sylvain. He never left his bed, and wouldn't eat or drink much. All he wanted to do was sleep and forget everything that happened. That was difficult to do however, because Felix was sticking around for the next couple weeks and all he would talk about was training with Byleth. Byleth, the girl that wouldn't just let everything around him fall apart. Apparently Lord Fraldarius had hired her to train Felix and himself while all of the adults were working at the Sreng border. Sylvain didn't want to train, he kept fending Felix off by saying he still didn't feel well after the incident. Felix would be gone all day, presumably with Byleth, and then at night he would sneak in to sleep beside Sylvain. It was annoying that Felix kept trying to drag him out of bed, but he was glad to have his friend there. It made the darkness around his mind slightly less... scary.

About a week after everything happened his mother finally came in to see him. Sylvain realized she didn't look much better than he felt. She had dark circles under her eyes, and was significantly thinner than she had been when he last saw her. When she gave Sylvain a soft smile, it didn't reach her eyes. "I hear you aren't eating enough of your food and you haven't left your room, my son." Sylvain shrugged and laid back on the bed again. He didn't feel like dealing with all of this right now, he wanted to go back to sleep. "I won't force you to leave your room, dear one. I do think it would be good for you, though."

She came over to sit beside him on the bed and started stroking his hair. Sylvain sighed and felt himself relax a little. "We hired Byleth to stay and help you train because we thought it would help you feel safe. Felix has been staying because we thought you would enjoy having your friend here... but if it's all too much for you I can have some of the remaining knights take them to House Fraldarius so you can rest more. Would you prefer that, Sylvain?"

Sylvain turned away from his mother and stared out the window as he thought about it. He didn't want to deal with Byleth, but he also didn't want Felix to leave. He knew Felix would be hurt if he sent them away. He cleared his throat and finally spoke for the first time in what felt like days, "No. I want Felix to stay, and if that means she needs to stay too... so be it."

His mom gently touched his shoulder to roll him back to face her. "I know it's strange having her around. Part of me wants to resent her for being involved when all of this happened, but she cares a great deal about you. Every time I see her, she asks how you are doing. Every time I look at her now, all I can feel is gratitude that she is the reason you are still here with me."

Sylvain stiffened and his chest felt tight. "Well, she's also the reason that Miklan is gone. So how do you feel about that?" His words had a venom to them that he had never felt before. He was just so angry and he couldn't figure out why.

His mother's eyes were misty, she looked like she might cry when she finally responded. She whispered, "No, my son. Miklan is the reason that Miklan is gone. If your father and I had only noticed... if we had only been paying enough attention..." she started to sob, "...we would have sent him away sooner Sylvain. Miklan could have had a happy life here with us, but he never should have hurt you. You don't hurt those you care about, Sylvain."

Sylvain sat up and wrapped his arms around his mom. _She's right. I know she is. But I just... don't know what to do._ Once she had calmed down a little his mother finally spoke again. "I really want you to try and train with Byleth and Felix. I think it would do you some good. Take the rest of today to rest, you can even just take a day to watch if you would like, but I need you to try and push through for me. Would you please, my son? Would you please try to push through?" Sylvain felt a lump in his throat and his eyes began to burn. He hadn't cried since that day in the well, and now it felt like all of those emotions were about to break through. He cried with his mother for what felt like a lifetime before he finally met her eye and nodded.

It took two days for Sylvain to build up the courage to head to the training room where Felix and Byleth were. When he walked in they immediately stopped sparring to look over at him. Sylvain had never seen Felix run so fast when he dropped his wooden training sword and sprinted over to wrap him in a hug. Sylvain squeezed him back and looked at Byleth over his head. She still had that same odd look on her face, but there was no crinkle between her brows this time. Instead her eyes looked amused as she watched Felix squeeze the life out of him. When they finally made eye contact all she did was nod at him, and all he did was nod in return.

When Felix finally let go, he looked up at Sylvain with a grin. "Are you finally ready to train with us, Syl? By is a really good teacher." He was blushing as he talked about her.

Sylvain raised a brow. "By, huh?" He chuckled.

Felix flushed even more and spoke so fast Sylvain almost couldn't understand him. "Yeah I call her By like I call you Syl. You can call her By too if you want, I bet she wouldn't care." All Byleth did was nod in response. She really didn't seem to talk much, or express any sort of emotion. _What has Felix all puppy lovey dovey? I mean, she's pretty, but her facial expression is so... odd._

Byleth finally broke the awkward silence. "My weapon of choice is the sword like Felix, but I am proficient in the axe, lance, and bow as well. Is there a specific weapon you would like to train with?"

Felix began to speak, probably to tell her that he uses a lance because normally he does. Sylvain didn't want to think about his Crest or the Lance of Ruin right now. Sylvain cut him off and said, "I've been thinking about working with an axe. Do you think you could help me?" Byleth had a gleam in her eye as she nodded. _Huh. I guess her eyes tell how she is feeling. They are pretty._ He shook his head like he could shake the thought out of existence. "Why don't you guys keep sparring for a while and I'll warm up over there with the dummies. I'm still not feeling back to normal after... everything." Byleth nodded and motioned to Felix who ran back to pick up his training sword. 

They were at it for hours. Whenever Byleth would try to get Sylvain to spar with her, he would think of an excuse to get out of it. Finally after the fifth time asking, she shook her head when he had refused again. "Sylvain. I really want to help you. I can't take the job to protect you, but I want to teach you so you know how to defend yourself."

Sylvain dropped the training axe he was holding and spun to face her. "What are you talking about?" _What job to protect me? What is she talking about?_

Byleth seemed as confused as Sylvain felt, so Felix jumped in to explain. "Syl, my dad and your dad both tried to hire By. My dad wanted her to be my personal knight, I think your dad wanted the same thing, but she refused. My dad had the idea to have her stay here with us to teach us while her dad and the rest of the mercenaries went to help against the Sreng and that's the only reason she's here."

Sylvain was even MORE confused now. "Let me get this straight, you turned down the chance to be knighted by two of the most powerful Lords in the Kingdom? Why?"

Byleth tilted her head and looked like she was thinking for a second before she responded. With a shrug all she said was, "I'm a mercenary. I like being a mercenary. I'd like to keep you guys safe but..." she paused for a long time "...I can't leave Jeralt." _Ah... the infamous Blade Breaker. I almost forgot about her dad._

Sylvain shrugged. "I guess that makes sense. Still weird though. You would get paid a lot more as a knight. Not to mention the prestige of working with House Fraldarius or House Gautier. Most people would kill to have a job like that." He crossed his arms behind his head and tried to look casual. _What is her play here? Nobody would turn down a chance like that. Nobody._

She paused for a long time, all the while giving Sylvain that same blank stare. She shrugged again and said, "I don't really care about any of that stuff. Are you going to train with me or not?"

Sylvain picked up his training axe and she looked hopeful for half a second before he finally responded, "not" and placed his axe back on the rack before leaving the room.

Sylvain let one of the servants he passed by know that he was not to be disturbed and went back to his room. When dinner time came he asked to be sent up food, but didn't end up eating most of it. He just sat there staring at the wall for what felt like forever, until it was finally dark enough in his room and he decided to try and get to sleep. He must have dozed off for a couple hours before he woke up to the feeling of Felix crawling into bed with him. He had been doing that every night since the incident and it really did help Sylvain feel better.

Sylvain turned toward Felix's side of the bed and tried to go back to sleep but was interrupted when Felix spoke. "Why did you treat By like that, Syl?" he whispered.

Sylvain sighed and turned away from Felix. "What are you talking about Fe? I was tired so I came back up to my room."

He may have been turned away but he could picture the frown on Felix's face when he spoke. "No Syl. You were mean to her. Maybe not outright, but she was trying to help and you just brushed her off. I had never seen you like that before."

Sylvain bristled. "Look Fe, I know you have a crush on her or whatever, but you just don't get it." Felix started to deny it but Sylvain kept speaking, the words came out before he could even really think about what he was saying. "She's a commoner, Fe. She doesn't actually care about either of us. She must be up to something if she didn't take the chance to be a knight to one of our houses. She's probably just trying to use us to get an in with one of our families, maybe even to try and marry one of us. I don't trust her and you shouldn't either. Besides... her face is weird. She never shows any emotion. It creeps me out." Felix didn't speak for a long time, and after a while Sylvain thought that he had gone to sleep.

Just as Sylvain started to drift off again Felix crawled out of bed and walked toward the door. "Wait, Fe! Where are you going?" Felix turned around slowly and walked back toward Sylvain.

When he was standing in front of him Sylvain could just make out his facial expression in the moonlight. He was angry, really angry. "Sylvain, she saved your life TWICE without even knowing your name. While you were hiding up here she asked how you were doing all the time and asked questions about you so she would know what to say when you finally came down to train with us. All she wanted to do was help you. She told me she has never had any friends before, because she has always moved around with her father's company and whenever they were in a village the kids would be too scared to play with her. She was so scared you weren't going to like her and I told her that you were really nice and we would all be friends. But you weren't nice. You didn't even give her a chance. You want to blame it on the fact that she's a commoner and feel so great because you are part of a great House or whatever but you've never cared about that stuff before." He paused and took a deep breath. "I don't know what's going on with you right now, but this is not the Syl I know. This is not my best friend." A tear trailed down his cheek and he turned and walked out the door.

Sylvain stayed in his room for another week. Felix didn't come by at night anymore and Sylvain missed him, a lot. _What is wrong with me? Felix was right. I know he was. She saved me twice and she obviously cared enough to threaten Miklan. But there is no way she would just do it to be nice. Felix just doesn't understand it yet. People just use us to get what they want. They don't actually want to be with us. We only have each other, why doesn't he see that?_

He was too busy brooding to hear the first knock on his door. It was late at night and he figured he had imagined it until a second knock sounded a little louder. _Who could that be? Felix wouldn't knock, but who else would come by at this time?_ He stumbled toward the door and opened it to find Byleth in a nightgown, he recognized as his mother's, shifting her weight from side to side. She was wringing her hands like she was nervous, but she still had that same blank face when they met eyes.

Finally she whispered, "Can I come in? I just wanted to talk for a second." Sylvain shrugged and stepped aside so she could enter. He shut to door behind her and went to sit on his bed. He lit a lamp on his bedside table and then stared at the wall just above her head, waiting for her to speak. She continued to wring her hands until finally she balled them into fists and put them by her sides. "I don't know what I did to upset you, but whatever it is I'm sorry. Felix won't talk about it but he's been so sad since the day that you came down to train, and nothing I do makes it any better. I don't want him to be sad anymore, so I'm going to leave tomorrow to head up to the border. I think he would be happier if you would come out to spend time with him. I just wanted to apologize before I left."

Sylvain just shrugged and continued to stare at the wall above her head. She shook her head and spoke so quietly he almost didn't hear, "I'm sorry about your brother. I know it must have been hard with him here, but it must be hard with him gone as well... It's okay if you blame me."

When Sylvain finally looked at her she had her head down and her hair covered her face much like that day when he had seen her in his father's office. Sylvain stood slowly and walked until he was a few feet in front of her. "Fe would be even more sad if you left. You should stay. He's only mad because I said some things I didn't totally mean and..." He paused and scratched the back of his neck "... anyway you should stay. I mean it. I'll try to come to train starting tomorrow."

She looked up at him and he could have sworn that her eyes were misty, but then she blinked and it was gone. "Are you sure?" she asked. She gave that cute head tilt again and he gave her a small smile.

"Yes. I'm sure. Go get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow."


	6. Chapter 6

~Felix~

It had been a week since Felix had seen Sylvain. It had been an entire week since that day when someone that looked like Sylvain had entered the training room, but they didn't speak or feel like Sylvain. Felix had noticed how cold his eyes were as soon as he saw him. It was Sylvain's eyes, with dark circles underneath them that looked like he hadn't slept in weeks even though he said he had been resting the past several days. It was Sylvain's fiery red hair, but it was dirty and unkept, so unlike Sylvain's normal carefree tousle of hair. It was Sylvain, but it was not.

He had held onto the hope that if Sylvain spent time with Byleth and himself that the cold would melt back to the Sylvain Felix had known a few weeks prior, the one Felix had known his entire life, but then he had started to speak to Byleth. After a handful of attempts on Byleth's part to get him to join them, finally he seemed to acknowledge her. His tone was just as cold as his eyes looked, full of anger and distrust as he interrogated her about not taking the job as a knight, speaking of the money and prestige of it all like it was something that mattered. Felix had noticed how guarded Byleth looked while they exchanged words. Even after watching their conversation, and adding information of his own, it still surprised him when Sylvain, dripping with sarcasm, had answered Byleth's request to train with a haughty "not" and left the room. Byleth had looked to Felix for answers, but he had none.

He had gone to Sylvain's room that night, just like every night since the incident with Miklan. He had tried to confront Sylvain about being harsh with his new friend, but he had been met with the same disdain as before. Felix could imagine this is what a broken heart felt like. He returned to his room afterwards, but sleep evaded him while he worried about his best friend. What was he supposed to do? Why was Sylvain acting this way? Who could he possibly talk to? Byleth was great, she had quickly become a friend that he enjoyed spending his time with, but she didn't know Sylvain from before Miklan had thrown him in the well. She couldn't help him. Felix wished he could talk to Ingrid, Dimitri, or Glenn but they were all so far away. It felt like it was Felix's responsibility to help Sylvain, but Felix didn't know how.

The next several days he had felt tired and downcast. He had enjoyed his time with Byleth, but it felt wrong to have fun when Sylvain was locked away in his room again. What was he supposed to do? And then, like magic, one day Sylvain walked into the training room again and it was almost like it used to be. Sylvain still looked tired, but he laughed and joked around, he trained with Felix and Byleth, and they even ate all of their meals together. Something was still off between Sylvain and Byleth, like an unspoken agreement of mutual apathy, but Felix decided to brush it aside. _I have two of my friends here and they are getting along. How much more could I ask for?_

Sylvain's attempts at training were half-hearted at best, he didn't seem to care about any of it. After Sylvian had come back to training Felix had tried to sneak into Sylvain's room like he used to, but when he got there he could hear Sylvain and a girl inside giggling so he went back to his room alone. It was like it used to be, but it also wasn't.

Two weeks after the day Sylvain had come back to training for the second time, a messenger finally came with news from the border. Byleth and Felix had been sparring, Byleth was giving Felix instruction on his form and Sylvain had been giggling in the corner with one of the servant girls when Sylvain's mother had burst into the room with a message from the Blade Breaker. Apparently their fathers had been victorious at the border. The would-be invaders were pushed back and everyone was on their way home. Felix would have four more days with Byleth. Two for her dad and his company to travel back to Gautier's estate, and two for them to rest before they headed off to a job in Alliance territory. Felix felt a tightness in his chest, and a lump in his throat when Byleth told him. He might have imagined it, but it looked like Byleth's eyes got a little misty as well.

"Are you sure you can't take the job my father offered you? I've had so much fun learning from you. I've gotten so much better with my sword the last couple weeks, right?" He gave Byleth his best smile, the smile he usually gave to his parents or Glenn when he really really wanted something.

Byleth sighed and gave him the look that he now realized meant she was slightly amused. It had taken a long time, but he had picked up some of the tells in her posture and the different looks in her eyes to tell him what she was feeling, if only a little bit. She ruffled his hair like she always did and looked him in the eye, "I can't. I wish that I could, but then I wouldn't have my father with me. I would miss him."

He felt the lump in his throat grow even more before he replied. "Will you miss me By? I'm gonna miss you." His cheeks grew warm again and he couldn't make himself look at her face. He was too scared she was going to say no, too scared that she didn't care about him like he cared about her. She reached out and grabbed his hand and held it until he finally looked up to her.

He may have imagined it, but it looked like the corner of her mouth twitched up into an almost smirk as she spoke again. "Of course I will miss you, Felix. You are my first and only friend." His chest felt warm, and that warmth soon spread to his cheeks again.

He took his hand back, picked up his training sword, and headed towards the dummies. "Can you show me that spinning move you did again? I know you said it would be too hard for me, but I want to try it at least once before you have to go. Glenn would be so jealous!" It looked like the corner of her mouth twitched again, but then she nodded and got back into teaching mode.

As promised their fathers returned two days later. They looked exhausted and dirty from the road, but after they washed up they all came down to dinner, just like that night when his father had offered Byleth the job. It was the same, except for the fact that Sylvain was there this time. Instead of his normal place near Felix, he sat on the other side of the table near his mother and kept to himself.

It was really nice to see father again. The three men went around the table telling stories about the battle, and bragging about how they had come away victorious. Felix and Byleth both hung onto every word, while Sylvain just seemed really interested in his pheasant. Felix tried to push it aside. Soon he would be going home with his father anyway.

As if his father could tell what he was thinking he cleared his throat and looked at Felix. "Felix, I was thinking we could stay here for another two days so I can rest awhile, and then we could head over to Castle Blaiddyd to report in person to His Majesty about our efforts in Sreng. What do you think?"

Felix grinned. "Do you think we'll be able to see Glenn and Dima, father? It has been a while." His father chuckled. "I am sure we could make some time to spend with them. Now tell me, how has training with Byleth been going?"

Byleth and Felix took the next several minutes filling their fathers in on everything they had done for training. After dinner was finished, they invited them into the training room and sparred for them so their fathers could see all of the work they had put in over the last month. Sylvain had complained that he was too tired and gone off to bed, so the Margrave and his wife had done the same. It was just the four of them and the walls echoed with the sound of wood smacking against wood as Felix and Byleth circled one another. Felix knew that Byleth was going easy on him, trying to make him look more impressive than he actually was. Part of him was annoyed by it, but when he was done and he saw the smile on his father's face, he realized he didn't mind it too much.

His father clapped as Jeralt chuckled. "That was marvelous Felix! I see that Byleth has done quite well in training you the last couple of weeks. You have made big strides since I last saw you wield a blade." His father put an arm around Felix's shoulder.

Jeralt ruffled Byleth's hair as he chuckled again. "Good job, kiddo. Who knew you had it in you to teach?" He laughed a big belly laugh while Byleth swatted his hand away.

The corner of Byleth's mouth did that cute twitch it sometimes did when she seemed happy. "Felix did really well. I'm sure he will make a fine swordsman one day."

It was Rodrigue's turn to chuckle. "I'm happy to hear it Byleth. Thank you. Were you able to make any strides with Sylvain? How was he doing in his training?"

Byleth stiffened and the air seemed colder than in did a couple moments ago. Byleth stayed quiet and wouldn't look at anyone. Felix finally found the nerve to break the silence. "It's been a hard couple weeks for Sylvain. He didn't do much training, but By tried really really hard to help him." Felix felt that familiar tightness in his chest that happened any time he thought about Sylvain. He couldn't keep the frown off his face, and Byleth and his father seemed to notice. Byleth took his hand and interlaced their fingers in a show of support and his father squeezed the arm around his shoulders tighter to draw him into a hug.

"It's alright Felix. I was nervous that was going to happen, so it's not too unexpected. We'll just have to give him some time to heal, okay?" Felix squeezed Byleth's hand and nodded.

Jeralt cleared his throat to break the awkward silence and said, "Well I don't know about you guys, but I need a drink and then a nice warm bed. Why don't we turn in for the night?" Everyone nodded and parted ways.

Two days later it was time for everyone to leave the Gautier Estate. Byleth and Jeralt would be heading to the Alliance territories, and Felix and his father would be heading to Castle Blaiddyd. Felix was really excited to see Glenn and Dimitri and for the chance to tell them all about By, but he was sad he had to say goodbye to her.

Just as everyone was finishing saying their goodbyes Felix ran up to Byleth and grabbed her in the tightest hug he could manage, it didn't take long for Byleth to reciprocate. Sylvain walked up behind Felix and chuckled. "Fe you've got to let her go now. She's going to get left behind if you don't. Besides, I think she needs to breathe and she can't really do that past that bear hug of yours."

Felix looked up and saw that it looked like Byleth was struggling to breathe a little bit and he instantly let go in favor of holding her hand instead. "Are you sure you can't come with me and my father, By? I'm really going to miss you. What if I never see you again?"

Byleth looked down at him and put her free hand on his shoulder. "I have a feeling I will see you again. We'll make it happen. Maybe one day you'll need a mercenary and you'll hire my father and I? Yeah? It'll work out. I have a... feeling. And those aren't usually wrong."

Sylvain cleared his throat and put his hands behind his head. "I'd love to see a beauty like you again. Maybe next time we can go to dinner and avoid training all together, what do you say?" He was smiling, but his eyes weren't. Felix didn't like it, all he could do was glare at Sylvain. Byleth just gave him a blank stare. Sylvain laughed and raised his hands like he was surrendering. "Relax, relax. It was a joke you two. Goddess, you guys are too serious. But seriously Byleth, I don't know if I've said this yet... but thank you for saving me." He stared at Byleth for a couple more seconds and then turned to Felix. "Say hi to His Highness for me, will you? And Glenn too?" And without another word he walked back up the path toward the house.

Felix couldn't hold back a sigh. He turned back to Byleth and squeezed her hand. "I'm really going to miss you. Thank you for everything. You are amazing."

Out of nowhere Jeralt cleared his throat directly behind Felix. "Alright Kid. It's really time to go now."

With one final hug they parted. Byleth turned back one last time and shouted, "I mean it! We will see each other again!"

And Felix really wanted to believe it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth has a couple of very strange days.

Great Tree Moon  
Imperial Year 1180  
Travelling to Garreg Mach Monastery

~Byleth~

This had to be the weirdest day that anyone had ever had… ever. _Did I really just turn back time?_ All Byleth could do was stare at her hands and feel at her back where she still felt a phantom tingle where that axe should have cleaved her in two. _This can’t be happening. Nothing makes sense._ Byleth didn’t have much experience with emotions, but she was pretty sure she was terrified.

The day had started out like most others. She had the same weird dreams that she normally does, but the green haired girl had finally woken up and asked her questions about herself, what her name and date of birth was. It was odd, but her dreams normally were. She woke up to her father like she always does, got the same lecture about how an idle mind on the battlefield will get you killed, blah blah blah. But then things got weirder. They were called out of the inn for people that needed help, those people ended up being two young men and one young woman, all obscenely beautiful and in similar uniforms, and the obscenely beautiful people ended up being the three most important young people in all of Fodlan. _That doesn’t just happen to normal people, right?_

They had all been fighting against the bandits together, they were pretty green, they obviously didn’t have much battle experience. Byleth had torn through the bandits ranks to try and keep them safe, but she had been sloppy. She failed to make sure the bandit leader was actually dead. _Rookie mistake, Byleth._ In an effort to save the girl with the long white hair she had thrown herself in front of the bandit leader’s axe when he had charged her.

The child with the long green hair from her dreams, _Sothis was her name_ , had given her a verbal beatdown for being careless, and Byleth couldn’t really blame her. It had been careless, but at least the girl had a chance to get away. Then Sothis had given Byleth the ability to TURN BACK TIME. She went back and instead of taking the axe to the back, she deflected and tossed the bandit leader onto his back and he had run for the hills when he saw the knights coming. Almost as weird as the fact that she had turned back the hands of time, was the fact that the obscenely beautiful people weren’t scared of her, if anything they were actively seeking her out and asking for her services and loyalty. No one close to her age had done that since Felix had all those years ago.

Thinking of Felix always lead to thinking of Sylvain, and thinking of the two of them always lead to her having that weird tightness where her heart should be. She missed Felix. _He would probably think all of this was just as weird as I do._

And that was the sequence of events that brought Byleth to where she was now, walking through the trees with the three future leaders of Fodlan, all of them serving each other snide remarks and competing for her attention. Jeralt was a few paces ahead of her, looking bored with the knight that had invited them to the Monastery. Alois? Was that his name? He had known Jeralt 20 years ago when he had been a captain, _CAPTAIN_ , of the Knights of Seiros. Jeralt was a reserved person, but Byleth was now realizing she knew nothing about her father. She wasn’t sure how she was feeling about it… but it certainly wasn’t good.

She was thanking the stars above for her normal impassive mask, because her mind was reeling with all of the new information that she was trying to process. She tried to pull her attention back to the three royals next to her, and right in time it seems, because they were done bickering with one another and were now trying to start a conversation with her.

“This will be your first time at the monastery, correct? I would be more than happy to show you around?” The blonde with the beautiful blue eyes that hid something dark behind them had invited.

“It really is Fodlan in a nutshell, the good and the bad.” The brunette boy with the piercing green eyes and the smile that could blind someone if it would just reach his eyes had commented.

“Like it or not we shall be there soon.” The girl with lilac eyes and long white hair had finished. This was the first time since they had met that she had not been eyeing Byleth like she was a particularly nice silver sword that she would look over at a blacksmith. It felt… odd… to be evaluated so in depth by the three most important young people in Fodlan. Byleth could only hope she and her father would get the meeting at the monastery over with as soon as possible so they could be on their way again.

Byleth’s hopes were dashed so fast it made her head spin. Jeralt was to rejoin the Knights of Seiros and she was supposed to teach… _TEACH_ … a bunch of kids that were only slightly younger if not the same age as her. Archbishop Rhea had looked at Byleth like she was a cup of water after having been in a desert for days. Jeralt had warned her to be wary of her, but he could have saved his breath. As soon as she had seen Rhea, she had shivers down her spine. She remembered the feeling from that meeting with the Margrave and Miklan all those years ago. _Rhea is someone to keep an eye on._ The man with the forest green hair and stern eyes that serves as her advisor had looked at her with open disdain and distrust. She couldn’t even really blame him. Rhea had invited a mercenary with no knowledge of the church to be a professor to students her own age. She would be distrustful as well.

A young boy, _he looks Almyran… I wonder why an Almyran boy was brought in by the church…_ was leading her to the room where she would be staying while she was teaching for the next year. As soon as he had walked away and she had closed the door, Byleth stripped off her armor, and still fully clothed, she threw herself on the bed and immediately fell asleep.

She was woken early the next morning by the same stern eyed advisor from the day before. Part of Byleth wanted him to be there to tell her that Rhea had changed her mind and they were sending her away. That was not the case. “This will be your room while you are staying here, Miss Eisner. It is among the student dorms so you can keep a better eye on them.” Byleth nodded in acknowledgement, but wondered if the rest of the professors also stayed among the students, or if the advisor was punishing her for taking the job. Not that she had had much choice. People like her weren’t really in a position where they could tell the Archbishop of the main religion in all of Fodlan “no”. Even she, a common born mercenary, knew that. Jeralt had said he was "forced" back into the Knights of Seiros. What could she have done to avoid this?

“After you freshen up” a very pointed look at her attire suggested the advisor did not appreciate her appearance “Rhea would like to meet with you in the Audience Chamber from yesterday. I trust you can find your way there.” After one more scornful once over he turned on his heel and left. _Well he is going to be fun to deal with this year_.

Byleth walked back into her small room and pulled out the rucksack she had dropped the night before. Jeralt had not given her much of an idea of what to bring to the monastery. All of her other things were with the caravan with the rest of their mercenary crew. All she had brought with her was a spare outfit. Black lace tights with short black shorts over them, a black crop top tank top, and a loose grey coat over her shoulders. She often wore her armor pieces over it when she fought, but she figured there was no reason to do that on the monastery grounds. Byleth gave herself a once over in the mirror. _I’m sure the advisor is going to love this… though it’s better than that Manuela lady_. She decided it would have to be enough and headed toward where she thought the Audience Chamber was. 

It turned out she definitely did not know where the Audience chamber was. The monastery was huge, and it was going to take Byleth a while to memorize the layout even with her keen sense of direction. Eventually she caved and asked a knight for directions.

When she finally entered the room, Rhea was all smiles once again. “Byleth! It is so nice to see you again. I assume you are already aware you will be teaching at the Officers Academy. Correct?” Byleth nodded. “To start, please speak with the three house leaders. You should also take a look around the academy and acquaint yourself with your new home. That is your first task here at the monastery. Do you accept it?” Byleth kept her face as impassive as she could and nodded. “Come and report to me when you have finished. Then you can decide which house you will be teaching.” Byleth gave a final nod and headed back out the heavy wooden doors.

She made her way down the stairs and through a huge room with shiny tiled flooring. The room had high vaulted ceilings with elegant chandeliers hanging down. It was lined with tables on each side, _maybe for students to do paperwork or something_? Byleth didn’t have much time to consider it before she was spotted by one of the youths from the day before, the young woman with the long white hair. 

“Byleth! I heard you accepted a teaching position here. I was truly hoping you would lend your strength to the Empire, what a pity. I don’t think I ever properly introduced myself. My name is Edelgard von Hresvelg. I am the princess and heir apparent of the Adrestian Empire. I wonder if you’ll be tasked with leading the Black Eagles? That is the house that I am the head of. Would you like me to tell you about my classmates, or would you prefer to meet them yourself?”

Byleth contemplated it for a moment. “I think I’ll go and meet them for myself. I appreciate the offer, though.“ With a semi-awkward bow she left the princess.

Byleth continued through the large building and saw a set of open doors to the right that lead to a large green courtyard. Once she made her way past the huge stone pillars, the first person she saw was the brunette with the striking green eyes. Those same green eyes lit up with recognition as he called her over. “Well, well. Scored a teaching gig here, did ya? Talk about a great first impression.” He smirked and winked at her.

Byleth sighed and shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. I must admit, I don’t usually have much luck with those.”

The young man threw his head back in laughter, though the smile STILL did not seem to reach his eyes. _How odd…_ “I guess I should introduce myself properly. I’m Claude von Riegan. I’m from the ruling house of the Leicester Alliance, but don’t worry too much about all that madness. I’m the house leader for the Golden Deer. I bet you would like to teach our house, we aren’t quite as… difficult… as the other two.” Byleth raised an eyebrow. “You’ll see what I mean, Teach. Do you want me to tell you about my classmates, or would you like to go in and meet them for yourself? They are right through there.” He pointed to the open doors right behind him. Byleth nodded and headed toward where he had pointed. 

As soon as she passed through the double doors she was approached by a young man with a weird purple bowl cut. “Ah. You must be that renowned mercenary everyone is talking about. Perhaps you’d like to join me for a cup of tea sometime?”

Byleth lifted a brow and was about to decline when she heard a cheery voice sound out behind her. “Oh, Lorenz. Leave the poor girl alone. She’s probably just going around meeting people and getting a taste of the monastery before she joins the knights or something. Right?” Byleth turned to see a petite girl with two long bubblegum pink pigtails down her back, dressed in a similar Officers Academy uniform. Attempting to hide behind her was a slightly taller girl with powder blue hair and tired eyes.

Byleth shrugged her shoulders. “Something like that.”

The pink girl giggled. “Well my name is Hilda, the boy who just obnoxiously asked you to tea is Lorenz…” Lorenz let out a gasp like an offended maiden. “And this here is Marianne! Say hi Marianne!”

The girl with the blue hair looked like she was ready to run away. “Umm.. hi.”

Byleth waved and tried to look sympathetic. She doubted it worked with her permanently stoic face. “Well.. I’m going to go and meet some more people.”

Byleth tried to escape the overly-excited girl, but Hilda seemed to perk up even more. “How about I introduce you?!” She looped her arm through Byleth’s and pulled her toward the center of the room. “Hey everybody! Come meet the mercenary everybody has been talking about! Isn’t she cute?” Byleth lifted a brow. _Cute? Since when am I cute? I’m called the Ashen Demon for Goddess’ sake._

The other kids in the class walked over until they stood in a semicircle in front of her. The first to speak up was a girl with short ginger hair. “Wait. Are you Captain Jeralt’s kid? I’m Leonie Pinelli, Captain Jeralt’s first and greatest apprentice! I’m sure he’s told you about me?” Byleth searched her memory, but couldn’t think of her father ever mentioning her.

Byleth shrugged and looked over at a young man that towered over the rest in the group. He had bright yellow hair and a grin that changed his entire face. All she could think of when she looked at him was the sun, bright and warm. He looked like a brawler, as he was all muscle and bulk. “Hey! I’m Raphael Kirsten! Pleased to meet ya! And this is my buddy Ignatz.”

He proceeded to thump the back of a much smaller boy with olive green hair so hard the poor boy had to take a few steps forward to right himself. “Uh, hello! It’s such an honor to meet you. I can’t believe you saved Claude and the other house leaders. I’m Ignatz Victor. My parents are Alliance merchants.”

A girl with long white hair similar to Edelgard’s stepped forward. “I am Lysinthea von Ordelia. Please do not forget it.” Byleth looked them all over as they dissolved into their own conversations. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to see Claude standing behind her. 

“So, what do you think of our Golden Deer? Great bunch, right?”

Byleth put her head on her fist as she thought. “It looks like you have a pretty good mix of commoners and nobles in this class. Are all of the classes like that?”

Claude had a gleam in his eye like he was impressed before his face went back to his neutral one. “Ah! You picked up on that, did ya? No, we are different from the others in that regard. The other two classes are made up of mostly noble children with a random commoner here or there. The other classes tend to be a bit more… stuffy because of it. That’s why I said we were less difficult. So… did they sell it? Don’t you wanna teach the Golden Deer? Come on. We could be great together!” Claude gave a playful wink and Byleth felt a warmth in her chest. She really was curious about the brunette Lordling in front of her, and the rest of the kids had seemed nice.

Byleth shrugged her shoulders in response and said, “I don’t know. Rhea said I had to meet everyone and talk to all the house leaders before I made a decision.” Claude’s smile seemed to falter slightly. “But… I’ll think about it.”

The playful smile was back and it stayed this time. “Well let me know if you have any other questions. Have fun meeting everybody! But not too much fun, so you wanna come back. Ya hear?” With another wink he turned his back and headed toward the rest of the students.

Byleth sighed and headed back towards the courtyard. They did seem like a good bunch. If the other houses were mostly made up of nobles she would probably fit in better with them as well. As she stepped out into the sunshine she took in her surroundings. On the other end of the courtyard, sitting on a bench, was the blonde prince. He waved and gave a smile when he saw Byleth and she walked over. He stood and bowed formally as she approached. “Please accept my apologies for the other day. You came to our aid, yet I hadn’t even the courtesy to properly introduce myself. I am Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, crown prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus.”

Byleth tilted her head and raised her brow. “There is no need to be so formal, Prince Dimitri. It was a stressful situation, I do not fault you for your reaction. Besides, I’m just a common-born mercenary. There is no need for formality.”

The prince had a light dusting of pink on his cheeks when he stood straight again. He brought his hand up and scratched the back of his head. “Ah, yes. Thank you. But I hear you are to be a professor here as well, are you not?” Byleth nodded and the prince smiled sweetly. “I still have much to learn, but I’m confident I could benefit greatly from your guidance. And even if you don’t pick me.. us.. I still want to welcome you to the monastery. And you can call me Dimitri. Here at the monastery I’m just like any other student.” His cheeks were pink again. _Odd._

Byleth nodded and cleared her throat. “Well Dimitri. I’m going around to meet all of the students before I decide on which class to teach. Would you like to introduce me to your classmates?”

Dimitri grinned and nodded. “Yes! Of course! Right this way.” He gave a half bow and extended his arm to the next classroom. As soon as Byleth stepped foot in the door there was a loud gasp. She heard the sound of running feet and Byleth, by reflex, tensed and put her hand on her dagger.

She relaxed when she heard a semi-familiar, if significantly deeper, voice scream, “Byleth?!” And there in front of her was Felix. He looked a lot older, and he was a few inches taller than Byleth now with his raven hair pulled back in a tight bun. A few pieces fell from the bun to perfectly frame his angular face that lacked the boyhood cheeks she was used to. His amber eyes were wide in amazement and Byleth was sure hers were as well. Felix was even more beautiful now than he was when he was young.

There was a crash off to the right and there she saw a chair had toppled backward. Laying on the ground with his legs in the air above him looking like he’d been struck, was Sylvain. A girl with long straw-colored hair was fussing over him looking for injuries.

_Looks like today is going to be another weird day._

Felix seemed to remember there were other people around and stood at attention with a smug grin on his face. He never took his eyes of Byleth. A crowd of students was rapidly forming around them and Sylvain was hurrying to get up off the floor. Dimitri chuckled awkwardly behind her. "Felix? You know Byleth?"

Sylvain spoke first. "My father hired her father, the Blade Breaker, to help at the border to Sreng about five-ish years ago and Byleth came along. Lord Rodrigue ended up hiring Byleth to train Felix and I for a couple weeks while they were gone." He put his arms behind his head in that same "trying to be easygoing" pose he used to do. He had grown significantly, he had to be one of the tallest in the room. Byleth had to admit he was very handsome. Broad shoulders, perfectly tousled red hair, and the same eyes that still made her think of those yummy caramel sweets she loves so much. His eyes still seemed empty, but it seemed to fit his face now. It was almost like it fit with the fake of his persona.

 _I_ _t's weird he didn't say anything about Miklan. I guess he doesn't want people to know._ She looked at Felix and his lips were in a tight line like he was frustrated. "Hey beautiful! Nice to see you again. Do you want to go to dinner sometime? We should use this time to get reacquainted." Sylvain had a cheeky grin as he raised an eyebrow.

Felix looked like he was going to hit him, but he was beaten to the, quite literal, punch by a girl with long blonde hair pulled back in a lose braid. "I'm sorry about him. He always does this. He can't seem to control himself." The blond directed a pointed glare at Sylvain while he sheepishly rubbed his arm where she had struck him.

The prince gasped behind her. "Wait! Felix! Is Byleth that girl that you were totally in..."

Felix jumped in quickly. "Shut up, boar!" _Boar? Did he just call the Prince a boar?_ "Yes. She trained with us for about a month. Her skills were unlike anything I had seen before, or since. But Byleth, what are you doing here?"

Dimitri jumped in once again. "Byleth is the skilled mercenary who saved Edelgard, Claude, and myself while we were on our mission outside the monastery." Dimitri was grinning at her with a look of borderline pride.

"Of course she was." Felix and Sylvain said in unison. Felix had a grin on his face and he wouldn't look away from her, but when Byleth glanced at Sylvain he was rolling his eyes and seemed strangely.. upset?

A young man even taller than Sylvain, and with darker skin than the rest of the group, stepped out from behind the group and bowed to Byleth. With his white hair, he almost looked Duscurian, but why a Duscur refugee would be amongst Kingdom noble-children was beyond her. In a deep voice he said, "Words cannot express my gratitude for your service to His Highness. Should you ever require my strength, please know I will hasten to repay this debt."

Byleth felt her eyebrows shoot to her hairline. "There's no need for formalities. I'm glad I could be there to help. What is your name?"

The boy stood tall once more and seemed to hesitate. "My name is Dedue. I am His Highness' vassal." Byleth was confused but didn't want to push him for more information.

A boy with silver hair, brilliant green eyes, and hesitant smile waved to her. "I'm Ashe. It's such an honor to meet you. You're a hero, like something out of a storybook. Saving three of the future leaders of Fodlan... it's astounding." He had a dazed, faraway look in his eyes.

Byleth shrugged her shoulders. "It's weird, right?" Felix chuckled and all the heads in the room turned toward him. _Odd..._

The blonde girl who had hit Sylvain was staring at Felix still when she spoke. "I can't believe you got him to laugh..." she paused and shook her head "...anyways, it's nice to meet you Byleth. I'm Ingrid. I heard a lot about you when we were young. His Highness, Felix, Sylvain, and I have all been friends since we were children and Felix talked about you a lot." Byleth looked at Felix and his cheeks and the tips of his ears were pink like they would sometimes get when he was a kid. It was strangely cute.

"Shut up, Ingrid!"

The girl with the straw-colored hair giggled and in a soft voice said, "Hi! It's so nice to meet you. I'm Mercedes."

A girl with short red hair looped her arm through Mercedes' and said, "And I'm Annette! It's really nice to meet you. Everyone has been talking about you all day. Are you enrolling at the Officers Academy? You look like you're about our age."

Felix broke through the group and grabbed her forearm. He lead her away from the group as a chorus of shouts of "Hey!" and "Where are you going?!" sounded out behind them. He stood really close and stared into her eyes. "What are you doing here? How long are you here? Are you staying? Are you enrolling at the Academy?"

Byleth felt the corner of her mouth twitch upward for the first time in a long time and shook her head. "It's always a bunch of questions with you. Isn't it Felix?"

Felix was bright red again as he turned toward the door that lead out of the classroom. "I'll be in the training grounds. Come and spar with me. I want to see how strong you've gotten after all this time." He turned to look at Byleth again and gave her a small smile. "The boar said you were quite skilled. He doesn't just say things like that. I look forward to sparring with you and beating you." He nodded his head and walked out the door. Byleth felt the corner of her mouth twitch again as she watched him go. 

Dimitri walked up and stood to her right. "It's uncanny that you are the same mercenary that taught Felix and Sylvain all those years ago. I feel like I should have put it together sooner with the fact that the Blade Breaker is your father, but it was so long ago that Felix was so excited about it... and much has happened since then." His face was grim when she glanced at him. When he saw her watching he straightened his shoulders and plastered a smile back onto his face. "Well. You've officially met the Blue Lions. What did you think?" He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Sylvain and Felix don't know that you are going to be a professor here. Wouldn't it be a pleasant surprise if you picked us?" He straightened and the grin on his face seemed real again. "Something to consider. I must get back to my classmates. Have a good rest of the day, and do let me know if I can be of service." With a bow he turned and headed back toward his classmates.

Sylvain was still standing in the same place when she glanced at him. He was watching her with a strange look in his eyes, but when he noticed she was looking he gave a stiff nod and turned away. _I see he's still not fond of me. Figures._

Byleth tried to focus as she met the Black Eagles, she really did, but her head was spinning from seeing Felix again after all this time and wondering why Sylvain seemed to dislike her. She tried to be kind to the flirtatious brunette, Dorothea. She bowed to the Brigid princess, and felt strange when she was looked over by Edelgard's retainer, Hubert. Caspar was loud and upbeat, a perfect contrast to the sleepy green haired boy who seemed too tired to care she was there. She nodded her head as Ferdinand von Aegir talked about himself... alot, and tried to calm Bernadetta down when she panicked because she was a stranger. Really it was all for naught. She was in too much of a daze to think about anything but the raven hair and amber eyes that were waiting to spar with her, and she couldn't wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are finally to the academy days! Hooray!
> 
> Also.. holy monster chapter. I really wanted to meet the students in Byleth's POV, but we'll get more Sylvain and Felix POV next chapter. Hope you enjoyed it!


	8. Chapter 8

~Sylvain~

  
Sylvain had been excited to attend the Officers Academy. He had intentionally put his father off for a few years so he could attend the same year as his slightly younger friends. They hadn’t been close since they were children, or rather since Duscar happened, but Sylvain had always thought that attending the Academy at the same time would give them a year to get back into the swing of things. It would give them time to strengthen those bonds before they were all sold off like cattle in the name of crest babies and fulfilling their responsibilities.

So what if they are all incredibly different from when they were children? Ingrid was a lot more uptight than she had been before, sure, but she was always going to be there to pull Sylvain out of his messes. And Sylvain planned on making A LOT of messes at the Academy. Dimitri was still haunted by Duscar. All of the friends could see it, but it was almost like there was an unspoken agreement to just leave him be. He hadn’t done anything to heal, but who among them had? Felix was different, too. Gone was the boy who used to come and cry to him when Glenn had picked on him or when Dimitri had broken a toy on accident due to his ridiculous Blaiddyd strength. Gone was the boy who would let Sylvain crawl into his bed when he was scared Miklan might come to hurt him in the night. Gone was the boy who made that goddess damned promise after the day Miklan had left him for dead.

Sylvain’s relationship with Felix had begun to change after Miklan was exiled. Part of Sylvain’s brain had wanted to blame it all on Byleth, because that was all Felix seemed to talk about for an entire year. But Sylvain knew it was mostly his fault. After the haziness and darkness that surrounded the weeks after Miklan was exiled, Sylvain had changed. He was different than he was before, and he knew that he became harder to be around. He hid his pain behind jokes and women, hoping it would one day go away. Of course, the pain never left. But the façade stuck and the women became a steady stream. It was just enough to keep the darkness and self-loathing away. Mostly. 

The final nail in the coffin of Sylvain and Felix’s friendship had been Glenn’s death. Sylvain still wasn’t exactly sure what the cause was, but Felix had changed too. He stopped showing any emotion that wasn’t anger or frustration, he stopped putting up with Sylvain’s antics, and more recently he completely stopped his friendship with Dimitri and started calling him a boar. No idea where that one came from. Sylvain had tried a couple times to hang out since getting to the Academy a couple weeks ago, but it looked like Felix mainly stuck to his room and the Training Grounds whenever class wasn’t in session. Sylvain decided it was probably best to give everyone time to ease into being together again before pushing anyone to be friends again. Especially Felix.

Dimitri had come back several days early from the “house leaders/future leaders of Fodlan bonding mission” thing with quite the story to tell. He talked about how they had been attacked at camp while they slept by a group of bandits. The professor that had been with them, formally the Black Eagles professor, had run off scared and left the kids for dead. _Idiot. Where does he think he’s going to hide when every important person in Fodlan is going to be searching for him for failing the royal pains?_ _Seriously, would have been better to just die a “hero”._ Dimitri explained to them that Claude had made a mad dash through the trees in a supposed “strategic retreat” (even Dimitri had rolled his eyes... and it takes a lot for him to break from being so formal) and Dimitri and Edelgard, lacking a better plan, had run with him. 

The three future rulers had stumbled upon a village a half mile or so from their camp and they had been goddess blessed that there were mercenaries there. Apparently, and this was the part where Sylvain had started to actually pay attention, there was a female mercenary there that had protected the three of them. Dimitri described how she had torn through the bandit group to keep them safe with stars in his eyes. He was obviously crushing, hard. Sylvain couldn’t blame him. A warrior goddess coming to save your life from bandit foes? Sounded like something Sylvain could be into. When he had pestered the prince for details on whether she was hot or not, the prince had an almost scary fire in his eyes as he explained how all three house leaders had been transfixed by the sight of her. All the house leaders had agreed that she was very skilled and all of them had tried to gain her favor. If the three of them agreed on something… it was a sure thing. Sylvain couldn’t wait to meet her.

The Blue Lions were all hanging out in the classroom the day after Dimitri had gotten back. Classes had been put on hold due to being short one professor. Dimitri had explained to them early this morning that the Archbishop and her uptight advisor were looking to hire a replacement. He also explained that they might not have Professor Manuela anymore if they decided to shuffle the professors’ assignments. Sylvain mourned the potential loss of the sight that is Manuela at the head of class every day, but what could he do other than hope they didn’t get stuck with Professor Hanneman or some other old guy. 

Sylvain was chatting with the lovely Mercedes, and everything was right in the world. Mercedes was the only girl in the Blue Lions that didn’t outright shut down his attempts at flirting. She seemed to know it was all in good fun, and it was fun, very fun. He had been leaning back in his chair nonchalantly like he always did, she was laughing at one of his jokes and he was soaking it up. Just as he was about to describe the fact that Mercedes laugh sounded like the tinkling of the most beautiful bells, he heard Felix gasp. Felix then shouted, and it wasn’t an angry shout of “Sylvain?!” that he used when he went too far on a joke, or talked about girls a little too long. It was an excited shout of “Byleth?!”… the name that Sylvain hadn’t heard in over 4 years and had safely tucked away in a dark drawer in the back of his mind so he didn’t have to think about it every day. 

Sylvain ever so slightly turned his head to look at Felix and felt his chest tightened at the excitement on Felix’s face. He hadn’t looked like that in years. He rotated his head in the direction that Felix was staring and currently running and saw her. Byleth had only become more beautiful, she was now a woman in every sense of the word and the Sylvain façade took in every inch of breasts, toned stomach, and lacey black tights and promptly lost his balance. The chair fell back with a crash, and then Sylvain was staring up from the floor at the beautiful woman who had saved his life twice several years ago and was now taking every bit of everyone’s attention. Even Dimitri seemed to be looking at her like she was the Goddess reincarnated.

Then it all clicked. _Oh._

_Oh. Warrior goddess… right._

Mercedes was fussing over him asking him if he had hit his head, asking if he needed any healing, but Sylvain was too embarrassed and distracted to soak up all the attention she was giving him. _Byleth is here._ He felt a shiver travel down his spine, and he wasn’t sure why. All of the unexplained resentment came crawling back up, and it felt like it was trying to claw its way out of his chest. All he could do was look from a happy, _actually happy for the first time in years_ , Felix and an eyes-wide Byleth who looked like she was equally stunned by the turn of events.

Then Dimitri spoke, “Felix? You know Byleth?” Panic seized Sylvain and he put on his casual façade as fast as he could to take control of the situation. “My father hired her father, the Blade Breaker, to help at the border to Sreng about five-ish years ago and Byleth came along. Lord Rodrigue ended up hiring Byleth to train Felix and I for a couple of weeks while they were gone.” He put his arms behind his head in what had rapidly become his go-to move for when he wanted to look as carefree as possible. He saw Felix scowl at him in the corner of his eye but he tried to ignore it. No one here needed to know about the worst day off his life other than the people who had been there. Then to make sure he cemented how carefree he wanted to seem, he went with his other go-to move… flirting. He gave her his best once over with his eyes and said, “Hey beautiful! Nice to see you again. Do you want to go to dinner sometime? We should use this time to get reacquainted!” Felix was definitely pissed, Byleth gave him the same creepy blank stare, but Ingrid was the one who actually hit him. Hard. _Ouch._

Ingrid made excuses for him like she always does, but then the light of recognition went off in Dimitri’s eyes. “Wait! Felix! Is Byleth that girl that you were totally in…” _love with_. Felix had been obsessed with her for over a year after she had left. All he would talk about was how amazing and beautiful she was. It was annoying, really annoying. But after Glenn died… Sylvain almost missed it.

Felix was quick to cover up the ending of Dimitri’s sentence with a shout of, “Shut up boar!”. Sylvain had heard him call His Highness that a couple times, but it still made him wince, he could see Ingrid recoil too. Felix went on to explain, probably for everyone else in the room who had zero idea what was going on other than DRAMA, “Yes. She trained with us for about a month. Her skills were unlike anything I’ve seen before, or since. But Byleth, what are you doing here?” 

Sylvain’s gut already knew the answer to that, but Dimitri jumped in to explain to everyone else anyway. “Byleth is the skilled mercenary who saved Edelgard, Claude, and myself while we were on our mission outside of the monastery.”

Sylvain and Felix answered in unison. “Of course she was.” Sylvain couldn’t stop himself from rolling his eyes. Remember that thought about the warrior goddess being something he could be into? He changed his mind. It was definitely a turn off, but only for him it seemed. Every other man in the room looked like they were ready to get down on one knee in that moment, even the normally stoic Dedue had stars in his eyes. Sylvain was going to be sick.

Everyone broke from their trance to introduce themselves and Sylvain tuned them out to concentrate on keeping the carefree Sylvain mask up until he could get out of this stupid room with stupid Byleth and stupid Felix who looked just as in love as he did all those years ago when he was saying goodbye to Byleth by the gate to Gautier estate. _Why does that make me so angry?_ Sylvain was so busy tuning everyone out he missed what Byleth said, but he didn’t miss what happened after. Felix laughed. Not a sarcastic chuckle, or a mocking laugh. He laughed like whatever she had said was funny, and Sylvain wasn’t the only one who noticed. Everyone realized how weird/rare it was and turned to stare in awe. Sylvain was still pissed.

Ingrid introduced herself and embarrassed Felix. _Shit, is he blushing? When was the last time I saw Felix blush?_ Then Mercedes and Annette had their turns. It seemed like Felix had finally had enough because he broke from the group, grabbed Byleth by the arm and dragged her toward the door. All Sylvain could do was watch. He was too far away to hear what they said over the voices of his classmates gossiping about the pretty mercenary that had saved the prince. She made him blush again, and then he gave her a little smile. It wasn’t anywhere close to the grin he used to have plastered on his face when they were kids, but it was the closest Sylvain had seen in four years. Sylvain was pissed he hadn’t been the one to put it there. 

Felix left and Dimitri took his place. They spoke briefly, then Dimitri leaned in to whisper in her ear. Sylvain gave up on the mask and just glared as he watched them talk near the door. Dimitri started to walk back towards the group and Sylvain finally locked eyes with Byleth for the first time since she walked in the room. He could feel his heart flip.. wait. _No. No. No._ Sylvain gave her a curt nod and turned away.

_No._

~Felix~

_Byleth is here. Byleth is here. Byleth is here. Byleth is here._ It was a chorus in his head that hadn’t stopped since he saw her walk into the Blue Lions classroom with the boar. He was trying to control himself, trying to maintain an air of indifference and annoyance like he always does, but he couldn’t. _Byleth is here_. So many questions were whirling in his brain. He hadn’t heard anything from or about Byleth since the day they had said goodbye all those years ago. He had thought only of her for that first year. His dad and Glenn had been merciless in their teasing, it made him cringe just thinking about it. He had kept up with his training in hopes that one day he would see her again, but then everything… changed. Glenn had died, and the old man had had the audacity to be proud. “He died like a true knight” he had said, with reverence in his tone and tears in his eyes while he held the destroyed armor that had arrived with the messenger. Felix was… sad. But he chose to turn that sadness into anger and distanced himself from everything. The old man, Ingrid, Dimitri, Sylvain, and even his thoughts of Byleth. Nothing was important except for training. He had to become stronger, it was never enough. He couldn’t end up like Glenn…. He wouldn’t. 

Life had reached a new normal, until Byleth had walked in the door. Now he was certain he was blushing like a fool and he had to get away. He invited her to spar and rushed out the door, where he promptly ran into Claude von Riegan trying to pretend he hadn’t been spying on what was happening. _What is he doing here?_ “What do you want, Claude?” He knew he sounded annoyed, but he was annoyed so he didn’t really care.

Claude put his arms behind his head like Sylvain always does when he’s trying to hide how nervous he is. “Oh! Hey Felix. I was just looking for our resident pretty mercenary. I heard you guys talking so I didn’t want to interrupt.” Felix couldn’t keep the scowl off his face. “Just out of curiosity… how do you know Byleth?”

Felix paused, deciding whether he wanted to answer or not. “My father hired Byleth a couple years ago to train us for a while, while our fathers fought at the Sreng border.”

Claude seemed to ponder his response before replying. “So… Lord Rodrigue, one of the most respected Lords in the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, hired a random mercenary girl to train the next heir to House Fraldarius and House Gautier? For no reason?” Felix stiffened. At the time he wasn’t the heir to House Fraldarius, Glenn had been, and he knew Sylvain didn’t want people knowing about Miklan. He had made that fact known just a few minutes prior.

He decided to be brief. “You could say there were circumstances where she had proven herself to be more than capable. She was already known as the Ashen Demon by then, as well. Now leave me alone, I’m going to train.” He didn’t give Claude a chance to say anything else before rushing toward his room to get changed for the Training Grounds. He really needed to hit something so he could clear his head.

_Byleth is here. Byleth is here. Byleth is here._

Felix rushed to his room to change into the house given exercise clothes. He couldn’t help stopping in front of the mirror to give himself a once over before heading out the door. _I wonder what Byleth thought when she saw me. I wonder if I’m still just a child to her._ The thought made his jaw clench and his hand ball into a fist. This was no time for thoughts like that. This is the time to hit things… hard. As he took his emotions out on the training dummy in front of him, the other students around him began to clear out. Good, he didn’t want people around anyways.

He couldn’t tell how long he had been at it before he finally heard the heavy double doors open again. He tried to keep focusing on the training dummy in front of him and the wooden training sword in his hand instead of the light clack of heeled footsteps that were behind him, but he was failing miserably. Eventually he couldn’t take it anymore, he grit his teeth and turned around to face the intruder.

 _Byleth is here._ The chorus started back up again when he turned and saw her standing before him. She had shed that ridiculous excuse for a coat and was standing before him in her black lace tights, short black shorts, and her black tank top that showed her toned stomach just enough to make his eyes linger as he took a little too long to take in her appearance. Her wavy blue hair was slightly longer than it had been when they were young, falling just past her shoulders, but her eyes were just as beautiful as he remembered.

He cleared his throat as he finally made eye contact with her. “Took you long enough to get here. Were you that afraid of losing?” He turned back toward the dummy in an attempt to hide the blush he was sure was making his face look like a tomato.

She walked toward the dummy beside the one he was repeatedly striking and watched him move. “I went to go and meet some of the Black Eagle students. I’ve been trying to meet everyone since I got here.” She never took her eyes off him and he was struggling under her gaze.

“Why? You never seemed to be the type to be overtly social. Are you hoping to rub elbows with more nobles to drum up more business?” The corner of her mouth twitched in the cute way it used to when they were kids, but Felix was frustrated when he didn’t even get a smirk.

“I guess you could say that… are you ready for our spar? You seem warmed up?” She strolled over to the rack holding the training swords and seemed to be taking her time choosing which one she wanted to use, weighing a couple in her hand before finally picking one and walking towards him.

Felix swallowed audibly and nodded his head. “Yes. But you have to promise that you aren’t going to go easy like when we were kids. I have to see how strong you’ve gotten.”

Felix might have imagined it, but her eyes had a twinkle that almost looked like a mischievous glint to them before all of the emotion drained from her face and she stepped into the circle in the center of the Training Grounds. “Very well, Felix. Let this be a lesson.”

After Felix stepped into the center, they circled each other for a while, each watching the way the other moved. She looked almost bored with her face so blank and a flame lit in Felix’s chest. He lunged in an effort to strike her, but she dodged it easily and spun around before striking his forearm so hard his hand loosened on his sword’s hilt, she swatted it out of his hand, swept his legs out from underneath him so he crashed to the ground on his back. Before he could even process what was happening, she was straddling his torso with the wooden training sword pointed at his throat. _Well, shit._

There was the sound of slow clapping and both of their heads whipped around to see Sylvain stepping out from behind a pillar. He was still clapping and he had a weird look in his eyes, Felix wasn’t sure what to think, but he was suddenly acutely aware of the fact that Byleth was still straddling him. She seemed to realize it at the same time he did, she stood in one fluid motion and held out her hand to help him up. He ignored it, stood and wiped himself down. She had a crinkle in her brow when he glanced at her, but he quickly turned his attention to Sylvain instead.

Sylvain was smirking while looking between them. “Well, that was fun to watch. It’s always nice to watch Felix get his ass handed to him, but I didn’t think you would do it quite so easily. Are you going easy on her, Fe?” Honestly, he hadn’t been. She was too fast for him and he was mentally struggling with the fact that that fight had lasted less than 30 seconds.

He cleared his throat before answering Sylvain. “No, she’s just that good. I guess that’s to be expected if she truly took out all of those bandits like the boar said.” He wished he knew what Byleth’s reaction was, but he didn’t think he could look at her and keep his composure so he kept his eyes on Sylvain.

Sylvain grimaced before quickly changing his face back to the same nonchalant nonsense he always portrayed to everyone else. _I guess he still isn’t fond of Byleth. I’ve never understood that._ Sylvain scratched the back of his head before finally turning to make eye contact with Byleth. “So Byleth, what are you doing here? Have you finally come to find Fe and sweep him of his feet?” Felix felt himself flush even as he glared daggers at Sylvain and clenched his fists. He could feel his nails biting into the flesh of his palms. 

Byleth seemed completely oblivious to what he was implying. She shrugged and nonchalantly replied, “I don’t know what you mean. My father and I were in Remire Village getting ready to head to a job in southern Kingdom territory, when there was suddenly a group of young people breaking down our door looking for help against bandits. Now I find myself here.”

She shrugged again and Sylvain narrowed his eyes just a little bit, so little that if Felix hadn’t known him for as long as he had he wouldn’t have been able to tell. “But that doesn’t explain why you are at the monastery…”

Byleth turned back toward Felix and cut off whatever else he was going to say with a terse remark of, “Apparently my father used to be the Captain of the Knights of Seiros. Alois, one of the knights, asked us to come to the monastery and Jeralt didn’t feel like we could get out of it.”

Sylvain’s eyes widened and Felix felt his own do the same. It was Felix who finally found the courage to ask what was probably on both of their minds. “Wait… you didn’t know? Why did you think he was so famous?”

She shrugged but she almost looked like she was grimacing, well as much as Byleth’s stoic face could grimace. “The same way I got the moniker The Ashen Demon? Something he did as a mercenary? He was good at his job as a mercenary. I never thought to ask.” She seemed to realize that they weren’t going to be sparring anymore, so she took the sword from his hand and placed both of their swords back on the rack.

Felix was watching her walk away when he realized what she had said. “Byleth, you just said he WAS good at his job.. is your dad okay?” Felix saw Sylvain grimace out of the corner of his eye but he was watching Byleth too closely to really acknowledge it.

She paused for a long time before tilting her head and resting it on her fist like she always used to when she was thinking. “Depends on what your definition of okay is..” she didn’t get the chance to elaborate on her cryptic answer before the double doors behind her opened and the Blade Breaker himself strolled in looking more stressed than Felix had ever seen him.

He looked at all three of them before rolling his eyes dramatically and throwing his hands in the air. “I should have known you two would be at the monastery. That’s just my luck, it seems. How’s it going Fraldarius?” He nodded at Felix and then turned his head to Sylvain and nodded once more “Gautier.”

Sylvain stood up straighter and plastered a grin on his face. “Sir Jeralt! We were just talking about you, sir. How are you doing?”

Jeralt’s jaw clenched as he looked at his daughter. “I’m fine. I’ve been asked to return as the Captain of the Knights of Seiros so I’ve been busy all day getting caught up with my new duties and now I need to steal my kid.” Felix heard himself gasp. _Jeralt is rejoining the Knights? What does that mean for By? Is she going to stay? Is she going to take the rest of their crew and leave again?_ Felix’s head was spinning with even more questions now. Byleth looked at him one more time before Jeralt put an arm around her shoulders and led her toward the door.

Felix began to feel panic spread in his gut and before he could think about it he yelled out, “Wait! Byleth! Am I going to see you again?”

Byleth stopped walking and turned to face him. He thought he saw the corner of her mouth twitch before she finally responded with a light shrug. “I guess we’ll see, Felix.” She left and Felix stared at the doors for a bit too long. When he finally remembered that someone else was in the room, he turned to see Sylvain… staring at him with a shit eating grin on his face.

“Well you look excited!” He said in a sing song voice that grated on Felix’s nerves.

Felix scowled and said, “I don’t know what you’re so happy about. Byleth is an old friend I haven’t seen in a long time. What’s wrong with being happy about that.”

Sylvain’s grin seemed to falter for a second before it was back full force. “I’m an old friend, Fe. You certainly didn’t look that excited when you saw me.”

Felix scoffed and whirled to fully face him. “Well it’s been a lot longer since I’ve seen her. I see you regularly, much to my chagrin.”

Sylvain put a hand to his chest and morphed his face to look like he’d been hit. “Oh Fe, you wound me. How long have we been friends?”

Felix put his hands on his hips. “Long enough if you ask me. We only know each other because of our fathers’ friendship. I didn’t have a say in it.” It wasn’t true and they both knew it, Felix was just hoping Sylvain would leave so he could finally wrap his head around everything that had happened over the last couple hours.

Sylvain looked smug when he finally responded. “Is that how it went? I remember it more like you always following me around. Whenever there was something wrong, like you lost to your brother or you fought with Dimitri, you’d always come crying to me.” Felix could feel his jaw tighten as he tried to control himself. Sylvain seemed to notice how wound up he was because after a pause he continued teasing. “You were so meek and pure back then, cute even… like a baby brother. I wonder if that’s what Byleth used to think… I wonder if that’s what she thinks now?”

“That’s enough!” Even Felix was surprised by how loud he had shouted.

Sylvain’s eyes looked like they were going to bulge out of his head. He was stammering, trying to regain composure before he settled on asking, “What..?”

Felix scowled and trying to control his anger. “I said that’s enough.”

Sylvain threw his hands behind his head and Felix could tell he was actually nervous. “Hey! Sorry. Look let’s forget we had this conversation. It’s almost dinner, why don’t we head to the dining hall and pick up some girls? It might help you feel better? I wasn’t trying to get on your nerves.”

Felix rolled his eyes. Sylvain was deflecting, and he knew it. “Look. You’ve been getting on my nerves for years. I’ve tried to be patient with you, but I’m tired of holding my tongue. You’re reckless in your personal affairs, you slack in your training, and you’re always prattling on about women!”

Sylvain’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Felix. His tone was light, in a way that seemed so wrong when he looked so angry. “Well, if a man sees a pretty girl, he can’t just let her pass by without commenting. That’s just rude. You’d know that if you took any interest in women.” His voice finally dropped to a venomous tone that matched his eyes. “Or is Byleth the only girl in the world for you?”

Felix scoffed and spun away. His tone was just as venomous as he walked toward the rack where Byleth had placed the training sword he’d been using. “You are insatiable. Do you ever stop? Certainly not to practice your sword technique. You always skip training. You never consider how your actions hurt others…” Felix felt his voice crack and hoped Sylvain hadn’t noticed. “…you never notice how they hold others back.” 

Sylvain didn’t make any noise as Felix went back to hitting the dummy. Today had held too many emotional moments. Felix hadn’t meant to explode at Sylvain, but he was still angry about how much Sylvain had changed since the Miklan incident. Seeing Byleth, while nice, had brought up a lot of the hurt that had been festering ever since Sylvain had brushed them, and more specifically Felix, off all those years ago. Their friendship had never recovered, and he blamed Sylvain.

Sylvain let out a heavy sigh, like all of the frustration and sadness that Felix felt was affecting him, too. His voice was soft when he spoke again, so soft Felix had to stop swinging his training sword to hear. “Look Fe, I’m sorry. That was never my intention. Come on, you know me better than that. I’m not really…” his voice cracked and Felix turned to face him again. Sylvain’s eyes were misty, and he looked so sad that Felix’s heart hurt just looking at him. Sylvain cleared his throat and continued, “Look, if that’s the impression I’ve given you, then I’m sorry.” Felix didn’t know what to say so he gave a noncommittal hum. 

They were both quiet for a long time before the doors to the Training Grounds opened again and Caspar from the Black Eagle house strolled in and started yelling, “Hey Felix! You want to train with me?” He seemed to realize that Felix wasn’t alone and turned to Sylvain, “Oh hey, Sylvain! I don’t usually see you in here.”

Sylvain plastered a grin on his face and turned to Caspar. “Yeah dude. I’m not super into training like you and Felix, I prefer to spend my time on… prettier pursuits… if you get what I mean.” He winked and Caspar gave an awkward chuckle while rubbing the back of his neck. Sylvain turned to stare at Felix before saying, “I was just checking up on Felix, but it looks like he’s gonna be here a while, so I’m gonna go. See ya!” He walked out the door without turning back.

Caspar looked confused when he turned to Felix. “Hey dude? Are you alright? If you don’t wanna train--”

Felix cut him off. “No. I want to train. Want to work on brawling today?” Caspar seemed to realize he didn’t want to talk and let it go. Felix was grateful, he really just wanted to train and not think about anything that had happened today.

_Byleth is here. Sylvain is sad. Byleth is here. Sylvain is sad._

  
_Damn it._


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be using bold text for Sothis commentary and the italicized text is still going to be inner commentary/Byleth responding to Sothis. Hope it all makes sense.
> 
> Also... I'm totally putting more Jeralt scenes in this fic. It's criminal how little they interact in the game... even though I still cry every time I play "The Cause of Sorrow" chapter...

~Byleth~

Jeralt had anxiety rolling off of him in waves as he walked Byleth away from the Training Grounds and toward her room. She had never felt this much tension from him, it made her feel even more uneasy with everything that had happened over the last couple days. She wanted to say something to try and ease his mind, but she lacked the necessary social skills and tenderness for words. She decided to go with the next best option, actions. 

“How about we grab our horses from the stables and go for a short ride?” She turned to him expectantly, waiting for affirmation.

His lips pressed into a thin line as he lifted a hand to the back of his head. “I don’t know, Kid…”

She shook her head and raised a hand to cut him off. “Tomorrow I start teaching young people that are basically my age how to fight and lead in a world I know nothing about. I’m sure Rhea will make use of you as fast as possible, and things are going to… change. We should do this while we can.” She tried to keep her face impassive, but saying the words out loud gave voice to all of the anxiety she was feeling. She was going to miss being on the road with her father, and she was terrified by how unequipped and underqualified she was for her new role. She still needed to decide what house she was going to teach and report to Rhea, but Rhea had upturned her entire life. Byleth figured she could wait a few hours.

Jeralt let out a heavy sigh and winced at the implication of her words. She knew he was scared about her being around the church, she just didn’t know why. Finally, he looked her in the eye with a wry grin. “Sure, Kid. Why not?” They turned toward the stables and were soon riding at a swift place, putting distance between them and the monastery. They stopped in a small clearing not far from the entrance and dismounted. The land was beautiful near the monastery, the clearing had a small stream that wound through and Byleth listened to the birdsong as she enjoyed the quiet.

Jeralt was the first to break the silence. “So tell me everything, kiddo. What has Rhea said to you? What class are you teaching? How did you run into Fraldarius and Gautier?” If Byleth were the type, she would chuckle at the thought that she had been interrogated too many times to count today and it was still early afternoon. She tipped her head back to watch the blue of the sky as she considered how her day had gone so far.

She reported to Jeralt on everything that had happened. She started with the wake-up call from the distrustful advisor, followed by the meeting with Rhea where she had been told she should meet everyone so she could pick which house she could teach. She talked about the Golden Deer and the various things of note she had realized in talking with them. She described her surprise when she had walked into the Blue Lions classroom and seen Felix and Sylvain. She told him in passing about the Black Eagles, before finally going into detail about her spar with Felix and the conversation Jeralt had walked in on. She let out a heavy breath when she had finished and looked at Jeralt expectantly.

She could feel the anxiety building in Jeralt again as he studied her. Jeralt sighed heavily and sat down on the grass. “Kid, there’s a lot I haven’t told you about me and about…” he seemed to consider his next words carefully “…well about you. About where we come from and who you are.”

He looked so sad as he said it, but all she could think to do was rest a hand on his arm as she sat down beside him. “If you aren’t ready to tell me, it’s fine.” She shrugged, but she meant it. 

**"Aren’t you curious what he knows? Aren’t you curious why he is so scared to be at the monastery?"**

Byleth couldn’t help flinching at the words in her head. She was still getting used to hearing Sothis every now and then. Jeralt turned to her with a questioning look but she brushed it off. He was stressed enough as it was, he didn’t need to know she was hearing a voice that wasn’t hers in her head.

_"Of course I am a little curious… but he looks so sad. I don’t want to hurt him in the name of getting answers. Besides, if it’s important he will tell me. I trust him."_

She couldn’t see Sothis, but she could feel the eyeroll almost as if she could. Sothis faded to the back of her mind as she turned to face her father again. “I really want you to be careful around Rhea. I know I said it before, but I don’t trust her. What was she thinking making you a professor? I know you are a hell of a fighter, kid, but there’s a lot more to all this than just that.” He stroked his beard and furrowed his brow in thought. “What class are you going to pick? It sounded like you liked the Golden whatever kids, but that other class has Fraldarius. I know you missed your friend.” He gave her a pointed look when he said the word friend.

“I don’t really know which to pick. I did like the Golden Deer.” She emphasized the name in an attempt to lighten the mood a little. “Claude von Reigan is really interesting, and the class has a good mixture of commoners and nobles that I think might be a little easier to fit into. I don’t have much experience being around nobility, you always handled that stuff. I don’t think I would choose the Black Eagles. Some of them caught my eye, but Edelgard and her retainer give me an uneasy feeling.” Jeralt turned around to look at her when she said that. He knew about her “feelings” like she had had with Miklan and he always trusted them. She attempted to put him at ease, “No not like that. Sorry, maybe I should have used a different phrase. Edelgard is always looking at me like I am a weapon to be used, and she's constantly studying me. It makes me nervous, I wouldn’t wish to teach in that environment.” 

Jeralt relaxed after she explained and turned to watch the little stream they were seated by. “Claude looks like he would be some trouble, but there’s a sense of…” she had to pause to analyze her thoughts on him “…comfort around him. I think I could enjoy spending time with him and the deer, though it would take a lot of work to get him to trust me. The prince is very eager and polite. I don’t think it would be quite as comfortable with him, but he and the rest seem eager to learn, and the Blue Lions has Felix.” She paused when she remembered how odd Sylvain had been acting ever since she first walked into the classroom. “However… the Blue Lions also has Sylvain… I’m not sure why but I don’t think he likes me. In fact, he feels almost hostile sometimes. It’s weird considering how we met.”

Jeralt’s eyebrows furrowed and he stroked his beard again. “It’s got to be hard to be in the situation he was in. I’m sure Miklan had treated him terribly his entire life, but it was still his brother. It was all he had known. You stepped in to save him, and it was ultimately Miklan’s fault for everything he had done, but I can see how Sylvain might resent that you were the reason Miklan was sent away. It’s weird, and not fair to you, but he was just a messed up kid. I’m sure he still is.” Byleth considered it, but it still didn’t make sense. “Maybe if you give him time he’ll come around. Or maybe he won’t…” Jeralt shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter either way. It’s your decision on how you want to handle him. It’s also your decision who you want to teach. I have faith in you no matter what, kid.” He ruffled her hair, and she still felt a sense of pleasant warmth in her chest.

 **"I am also very curious to see who you will choose. That Claude is a curious one, but he seems most distrustful. It’s odd.. but I remember your interactions with Felix when you were children even though I know nothing of my own past. It is all so confusing, it makes my head spin. He seems different than when he was a child. He seems more.. closed off. But that Sylvain character is just foolish."** Sothis scoffed in her head.

Jeralt cleared his throat. “Well, we should probably head back before they think we ran away.” He shot her a wry grin.

“We could still do just that?” She really did feel the urge to jump on her horse, grab her father, and run for the hills. “We could go to Sreng? Almyra? Somewhere Rhea couldn’t find us?”

Jeralt gave her the same sad look and shook his head. “I’m sorry, kid. But I think I’ve done enough running. Besides, what would Fraldarius think if you vanished?” He gave her a pointed look and she turned her face away. He let out a dry chuckle and put a hand on her shoulder. “I know you’re excited to have your friend back. It’s okay. Let’s head back.”

As they were riding up to the stables, Byleth noticed Claude standing against the wall directly across from the stables staring at her.

 **"Looks like the curious one is waiting for you…"** Byleth could feel Sothis smirk and rolled her eyes. Claude saw and walked up to her.

“Hey Teach! Mind if I steal you away for a sec?” Byleth looked toward Jeralt, but all he did was shrug. Looks like he’s not going to help get her out of this.

“I don’t know, Claude. I really should go and see Rhea…”

Claude’s usual nonchalant mask seemed to slip for a moment before he grinned even more. “Oh come on! I won’t take up much of your time. I just want to talk.”

Byleth searched his face for a moment and realized that he looked rather… sincere. It was weird to see Claude like that, he always attempted to make himself look so unaffected by everything. “Sure Claude. Why don’t we head toward my room, I need to change into something that smells less like horse before I see Rhea.” She crinkled her nose and when Claude noticed he threw his head back with a laugh.

He looked around and then leaned forward to speak softly in her ear. She could feel the warmth of his breath as he whispered, “Your room it is then.” He offered his arm but Byleth, still thrown by his closeness, just shook her head and walked toward their destination.

Claude was strangely quiet until they entered her room. Byleth hadn’t known him for long, but she had noticed that he was constantly joking and teasing with the people around him, it was weird that he wasn’t trying to be like that with her around. Finally he turned to her with a serious face, all nonchalance gone. “So… what are my chances? I gotta say I was feeling pretty good about it, until I realized you knew Felix and Sylvain. Even I get nervous, you know?” He winked and her and threw his hands behind his head, but she could tell he was nervous.

“What do you mean?” She had never felt so… smug. She knew what he was talking about, but she found herself wanting to know what he would say.

“Don’t play coy, Teach! You know I want you to teach the Golden Deer, I want you on my side.” He winked again to play it off, but he seemed genuine. “But I know that seeing Felix and Sylvain might sway you, so I want to know my chances.”

They had both been standing in the center of the room throughout the conversation so Byelth used the opportunity to think while she sat on the bed and motioned for Claude to take the chair at her desk. He looked from it to her a couple times before pulling it out and sitting on it backwards, straddling the back of the chair instead of sitting in it like a normal human being. Byleth felt the need to suppress a snort. “I know you want to know who I’m teaching, but I should really report to Rhea first.” She paused and tilted her head to her fist while keeping eye contact with Claude, he didn’t look away. “I find you interesting. I keep wondering what it would take to make you smile.” 

Claude’s eyes widened and his jaw opened before he snapped it shut. He grabbed the back of the chair with white knuckles as he gave an empty chuckle. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Teach. I’m always smiling.”

Byleth knew she could call him on his bullshit, but he seemed almost panicky at her observation so she didn’t push. “Even if I do pick the Blue Lions or the Black Eagles, I’m always willing to train with you. I’ve seen you use a bow, you’re a good shot. I think you should pick up a sword or an axe as well, it’ll be good to have a close contact weapon in a pinch. It’ll help keep you safe if I can’t.” She could see the pink dusting his cheeks as he stared at her with wide eyes. She continued, realizing Claude probably wasn’t going to say anything. “I’m decent with a bow, but I’m better with a sword or an axe. I can help you with whatever you like. Just let me know, okay? Manuela and Hanneman told me there would be seminars given on the weekends, as well. We’ll still have contact if I don’t choose the Deer.”

Claude shook his head and had a sad grin when he spoke again. “It seems like I’m not your choice… I’ve gotta admit I’m a little jealous.” He gave a sigh as he stood and stepped over her chair. “I will be taking you up on the offer for training. Manuela and Hanneman might have been teaching for longer, but they’ve got nothing on you on the battlefield, Teach. I just know it.” He opened the door to her room and took a step before turning back with a grin. “I’m glad I caught your interest, now I just need to find more excuses to keep you around.” He winked and closed the door behind him.

Byleth released a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding and flopped on the bed. Her head was still spinning with everything that had happened that day. She had met and spoken with so many people, probably more than she had spoken to ever before. Seeing Felix and Sylvain all grown up had thrown her more than she thought. The thought of seeing them every day gave her a warm feeling in her chest, even if staying at the monastery still made her nervous. She hadn’t realized that who she decided to teach was going to leave some of the others disappointed, it all seemed so foreign to her. She was unqualified for the position, why did it seem like all of the house leaders wanted her to teach them so badly?

She finally stood and changed into new clothes. It was time to stop avoiding Rhea, no matter how much part of her wished she could grab her bag and leave. She walked out of her room and headed toward the audience chamber to finally tell Rhea who she had chosen.

The next morning, she walked with Seteth toward her new classroom. They had spent the prior afternoon and evening drawing up the beginnings of a lesson plan so she would know where to start with the students. The advisor was coming with her to announce her appointment to the position and to observe her first day off class. He had informed her that he was going to come in and watch her for the first couple days until the mock battle, she assumed it was so he could have reasons to give Rhea for why she shouldn’t be teaching. She knew he didn’t trust her, but she felt more secure knowing he was going to be there. At least she would have someone there to help if she did something wrong.

They stood in front of the classroom doors for a second, listening to the noise of the students chatter on the other side. Seteth cleared his throat and walked in, his stride filled with purpose. She followed him to the front of the room only one step behind and tried to keep her head held high. She stood slightly behind him as he cleared his throat and raised his hands trying to get everyone’s attention. “Hello students, I would like you to meet your new professor. This is Miss Byleth Eisner, she will be guiding you through the rest of the year.”

All was quiet as the two looked over the classroom of students until finally a handful of the students started murmuring to those around them. Byleth risked a peek at Felix and felt the corner of her mouth twitch when she saw him staring at her with his mouth open in shock, and when she glanced at Sylvain she was pleased that he looked much the same. Eventually she turned toward Dimitri and saw that the previous darkness that was in his eyes wasn’t there anymore. She hoped she could find a way to keep it that way.

Seteth seemed to get impatient with the murmurs and the fact that she wasn’t saying anything so he cleared his throat. “I expect you all to give her respect as one hired by the Archbishop is due.” He looked toward her and gestured to the students expecting her to say something.

She took a step forward and took a deep breath. “Thank you, Seteth. Like he said, I’m Byleth Eisner. Let us begin.”


	10. Chapter 10

~Sylvain~

They had all been chatting in the classroom for quite some time. Class was scheduled to start a while ago, but they were still waiting to find out who their professor would be. Dimitri was extra wound up this morning and Sylvain couldn’t figure out why. “Hey! Your Highness! What’s got you so worked up this morning? Did you hear more from Byleth?” Sylvain heard Felix “tsk” behind him but he paid him no mind, he was more interested in teasing Dimitri, and it was totally working.

The poor prince was already blushing all the way to the tips of his ears. “Whatever do you mean, Sylvain? I haven’t seen her since she was here in the classroom yesterday.”

Sylvain felt a wicked grin cross his face. “Oh! Well, I saw you two whispering after Felix left yesterday and wondered if maybe you were setting up some late night rendezvous or something.” Bingo. He could hear Felix’s sharp intake of breath and the teenage prince looked like his head might burst from how deep his blush had gotten. 

“Sylvain!” His Highness was practically growling at him. “Don’t say such things, that would be highly improper. Byleth is a respectable mercenary and I wish to work with her more in the future, nothing more.”

Sylvain chuckled and placed his hands behind his head. “Yeah, sure you do.”

Right as he was about to kick up the teasing another notch, the doors finally opened and Seteth walked in with a familiar head of blue hair right behind him. Sylvain could see the smug grin on Dimitri’s face out of the corner of his eye and it did NOT make him feel good about where this was heading. “Hello students, I would like you to meet your new professor. This is Miss Byleth Eisner, she will be guiding you through the rest of the year.” Sylvain looked at Dimitri sitting to his right and saw him pump the air with his fist in triumph under the table. _He knew she was going to be a professor, didn’t he…_ Suddenly all of Dimitri’s fanfare over the last couple days made a lot more sense.

There were murmurs all around him, but Sylvain was having a hard time paying attention. Byleth glanced at him and he realized his mouth was open, jaw on the floor, and shut it as fast as he could. _She’s going to be our professor? What the hell?! She’s practically our age!_ Sylvain took a peek behind him and saw that Felix’s jaw was still on the floor and his eyes were still wide. When he noticed Sylvain was staring, he composed himself and scowled at Sylvain. “What do you want?” Felix let out a “tsk” crossed his arms and looked off to the side of the classroom. They still hadn’t spoken since their fight in the Training Grounds yesterday.

Sylvain had barely slept last night because of their stupid fight. Felix hardly ever talked about his feelings now, not since Glenn died. But when his voice had cracked when he talked about how Sylvain’s behavior hurt him, something in Sylvain broke. He had almost cried in the Training Grounds for Goddess’ sake. Thank the Goddess Caspar had stumbled in or Sylvain probably would have made an even bigger fool of himself. He wanted to tell Felix that none of it was the real him, he wanted to tell him it was all a front, but he wasn’t sure Felix would have believed him. It had been so long since Sylvain had donned this persona, the lines were getting way too blurry to where the persona ended and real Sylvain began. It weirdly still hurt that Felix couldn’t see through the act. 

Sylvain was torn out of his brooding when Seteth cleared his throat and said, “I expect you all to give her respect as one hired by the Archbishop is due.” He motioned for Byleth to begin and she stepped forward. Sylvain could see her chest rise with the deep breath she took. Her face was still as stoic as ever as she said, “Thank you, Seteth. Like he said, I’m Byleth Eisner. Let us begin.” 

Seteth walked to the side of the classroom pulled a chair to the wall and sat down. _Wow. He’s going to sit and monitor her? He never did that with Manuela._ It didn’t seem to upset Byleth, she walked toward the front of the desk and pushed herself up in one fluid motion so she was sitting on top of it with her legs crossed. She sat up straight with her hands clasped and looked over everyone in the room slowly. It was almost like she was trying to read everyone at once. The room was still completely silent.

Finally she spoke again, “I know it’s odd that someone so close to your age will be teaching you. I won’t pretend that’s not the case. I also know that it’s odd that I’m a former mercenary, however I know that my battlefield experience can help you as you move forward with your lives. I hope none of you need to use the skills I will teach you throughout the year, but I will teach you how to fight nonetheless.” She slowly scanned the room again before speaking again. “I wish to emphasize that I am here to help in any way I can. I promise to keep you safe, and I will do my best to help you all grow.”

 _Always keeping everybody safe, isn’t she._ Sylvain rolled his eyes, but Byleth didn’t seem to notice. She uncrossed her legs, leaned forward and put her hands at the edge of the desk. “I’m new to the monastery and you guys don’t know much about me, so I thought I would give you guys the opportunity to ask some questions to start off. After you guys have the chance to ask about me, I will ask about all of you. Now… who would like to begin?”

Silence hung over the classroom. The students all seemed to fidget, no one wanted to be the first to ask a question. Finally Annette, ever the eager one, raised her hand and waved it in the air. Byleth nodded and she spoke, “You looked so young when you walked in yesterday, I thought maybe you were going to join our class.” She giggled nervously. “How old are you?”

Byleth tilted her head back and looked at the ceiling. “I actually don’t know how old I am.” She looked back toward Annette who let out a “Huh?”. Seteth had his brows furrowed as he rubbed his temples. Byleth just shrugged and looked around the room. “We never celebrated birthdays or anything in our mercenary company. Not even my father knows, he said dates were never really important. All that mattered was the next job and having enough to eat and care for our weapons.” The class began to murmur again as everyone soaked in the news. “I think I’m probably about 20 if that helps anyone.” She crossed her legs and sat back with her hands behind her like she truly didn’t think it was weird at all that she didn’t even know how old she was. 

Ashe chuckled nervously and raised his hand. Again, Byleth nodded and turned her attention toward him. “What weapons do you use? What’s your specialty?”

Byleth was quicker to answer this question. “I prefer the sword, that is definitely my strength. I am also proficient in the bow, axe and lance. I’ve been riding horses my entire life, so I should be able to teach anyone looking to gain a cavalry class. We had a mage in our company for a about a year who taught me about reason magic, though I’m hoping to use seminars with the rest of the staff to help learn some faith magic. The only areas where I don’t have much experience are heavy armor and flying. We never had the funds for that sort of stuff.” Sylvain looked around and took in all of the shocked faces. _Look at everybody all smitten. That’s just great._ Sylvain tried to relax his jaw and sit back in his chair to relax.

Ingrid raised her hand next. “How old were you when you started fighting?” Seteth was watching intently, by this point. Even he seemed impressed with the skills she had listed.

Byleth furrowed her brow and tilted her head to her fist. “Again, age is kind of fuzzy. Ever since I can remember I’ve traveled with Jeralt and our company. We never had a home so to speak, and the road was often dangerous. Jeralt taught me how to fight as soon as I was strong enough to swing a dagger, then once I was a little stronger he taught me to use a sword. He had to… it would have been dangerous had he not.” Sylvain glanced at Seteth and noticed he looked furious. He glanced around at his classmates and noticed a couple different expressions. There was pity in some, admiration in others. 

Felix raised his hand next. The side of Byleth’s mouth twitched and there was a gleam in her eye when she nodded at him. Felix cleared his throat nervously before he spoke. “How old were you when you first killed someone?”

A couple students gasped, and Ingrid smacked the back of Felix’s head. “You can’t just ask something like that, Felix!”

Byleth shook her head and raised her hand to get everyone’s attention. “No, no. He’s fine. It’s an important topic. It was probably about 10 years ago, I was probably about 9 or 10.” Sylvain felt his face pale, all of his previous frustration gone, it seemed like everyone else had similar reactions. Dimitri’s eyes were dark as he watched Byleth. Byleth’s eyes were firmly on her lap as she spoke. “My father had been teaching me how to defend myself with a dagger for a long time already. He made sure I always had one on me, even while we slept. We were asleep in our camp one night when my father woke me. He thought there was someone in the camp and he was going to check it out. He told me to stay in the tent until he came for me.” 

She paused for a long time before speaking again. “I had never been around when they were on a job, he always found someone to leave me with. So, that was the first night I heard real fighting. I could hear my father shouting out orders and the rest of our crew trying to help. I heard my father yell out in pain and I didn't think. I ran out of the tent to try and help and I saw him… He had a wound on his shoulder and there was a man standing over him with an axe. I grabbed the dagger from my belt, ran over and stuck it in the man’s neck. He died instantly.”

Annette let out a small choked sob. Byleth looked toward her and furrowed her brow again. She got down off the desk, walked over to Annette, and placed a hand on her upper back rubbing it softly. Everyone had turned in their seats to watch her, and she scanned the room again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset any of you.”

Seteth cleared his throat. His face was pale and his brows were furrowed as he spoke. “It’s not your fault. I don’t think anyone expected a story like that.” Byleth looked down at Annette and Sylvain could almost see the concern in her eyes, even if it didn’t show on her face.

She crouched down in front of Annette and took her hand. “I swear I will always protect you.” She looked around the room before saying, “I swear I will protect all of you.” Annette nodded at Byleth and dried her eyes. Mercedes leaned over and hugged Annette in their seats. Sylvain’s chest felt tight all of the sudden. _She always says shit like that. She was always talking about protecting me after everything that Miklan did, too…_

Byleth walked up to the desk and leaned against it. Her face was solemn as she stared at the floor. “I wasn’t raised like the rest of you. I’m sorry if I come off as cold, or say the wrong thing. All I’ve ever known is life as a mercenary.” She paused before looking up at everyone. “I’m excited for the opportunity to teach you. I would like to say that none of you will experience some of the things I have, but I know that some of you already have.” She looked at Sylvain and he clenched his jaw. “I’ll strive my hardest to prepare you for whatever is to come.”

Byleth walked to the board and wrote in blocky handwriting myrmidon, soldier, fighter, and monk. It was the beginner class certifications that they had all been working towards the last couple weeks. She dusted her hands off and turned back toward the class. “I know you had already been working with Manuela toward one of these classes, but I want to give you this opportunity to choose again. Knowing my proficiencies and having worked these past couple weeks may have changed your minds. If you are still struggling with what to choose, you may come and speak to me. If I think it might not be your best option after this afternoon, I may speak with you privately to advise another path. Now, you may come and write your name by the class you would prefer.” She dragged the chair at her desk over to the side where Seteth was seated and joined him in watching the class.

Naturally, Felix was the first to get to the board. He wrote his name near myrmidon and walked toward Byleth. With a barely there smile and a half bow he said “I look forward to learning from you, and one day beating you.” _Yeah, probably not happening any time soon if her wiping the floor with you yesterday is any indicator._

Seteth cleared his throat and looked like he was going to scold him, but Byleth placed a hand on his arm and spoke. “I will be proud when that day comes, Felix.” She nodded at him and waved him back toward his seat. Ingrid was next, she wrote her name near soldier and sat back in her chair. Mercedes and Annette walked up together and wrote their names near monk.

Ashe walked over to Byleth and chuckled nervously. “I’m not sure what I should do, Professor. I don’t have any experience with fighting.” Sylvain watched her as she stood and dragged Ashe toward the very front of the room past the chalkboard. She walked around him slowly and the poor boy blushed.

She stood in front of him and leveled him with her gaze. “You look fast. Slender build, not built for raw strength.” She seemed to notice that Ashe looked embarrassed and put a hand on his shoulder. “Strength is not all that matters on a battlefield. Your speed and build would make for a great archer. Archers control the battlefield, and help keep everyone safe. How about we take some extra time together before the mock battle and try it out? Would you be willing to work with me?” Ashe nodded with a grin on his face. He walked in front of the board and wrote his name near fighter, bowed to Byleth and went back to his seat.

  
While Ashe and Byleth were talking Dimitri had written his name near soldier, and Dedue had written his name near fighter. Sylvain was the only one who hadn’t written his name down, and he waited for Byleth to notice, wanting to see her reaction. She walked in front of the board scanning it and then the students. “Sylvain. Did you hear my instructions? Please come write your name near a certification.”

Sylvain put his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair. “I don’t know, Byleth. What do you think I should do?”

She tilted her head to the side and looked him over. “I know you wanted to work with an axe before, but you have the body of a lancer, similar to Dimitri.” Dimitri made a choking sound in the back of his throat and put his head down.

Sylvain smiled, “So you’ve been looking at my body, Byleth? What a pleasant surprise.” Felix scoffed and Byleth just gave him a blank stare. _Perfect._

Seteth stood and placed himself between Byleth and Sylvain. “That is hardly any way to speak to your new professor. Are we going to have a problem, Mr. Gautier?”

Sylvain gave a wicked smile and winked. “Oh, Byleth and I go way back, we won’t have any problems, sir.” 

Seteth looked confused and turned toward Byleth. “We will be speaking about this later. For now, I must go.” Seteth glared and Sylvain one last time and walked out the door.

When Sylvain looked at Byleth she had turned her back. She walked to the board and wrote his name near soldier. Without turning around she said, “You’re all dismissed. Meet at the training grounds after lunch. Be prepared to show me what you can do.”

Sylvain stood so fast his chair scratched against the stone floor. He turned on his heel, and without glancing at anyone, rushed out the door. He wasn’t hungry, so he rushed toward his room. _I can’t believe they hired her as a professor, she’s basically my age! What is someone like her going to teach us?_ All he could feel was anger. It was like a heat in his chest that spread through the rest of his body. All of the pressure had been building up inside him since they had walked in the classroom, and now it was all too much. He hadn’t noticed until now, how it didn’t feel like he wasn’t getting enough air. His heart was beating like a drum in his chest, it was a deep sound that rang in his ears blocking everything else out. 

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he ran into someone, so hard they both fell back onto the ground. “Hey man! Watch it.” It was Claude von Riegan giving him a weird look.

Sylvain grunted and rubbed the back of his head. “Sorry Claude. I wasn’t paying attention.”

Claude’s face spread in a wicked grin. “What? Is our resident skirt-chaser too busy thinking about his hot new professor to watch where he’s walking?”

Sylvain saw red and punched Claude, right in the face. “What the HELL?!” Claude was on the ground holding his bleeding nose. _Oh shit! Why did I DO that?_ Sylvain put his head down and walked toward his room, ignoring the people shouting his name.

He finally got to his room and slammed his door shut. He paced the room clenching and unclenching his fists until he heard a knock on his door a couple minutes later. He took a deep breath and tried to make his voice sound normal. “Who is it? I’m a bit busy right now.” There was a pause as he heard shuffling steps outside his door.

“Sylvain it’s Ingrid. What the hell was that?!” _Shit. Of course she saw it._ He stood, plastered his best fake smile on his face, and walked to the door to open it. Her eyes went wide as she stared at him. “Goddess Sylvain! Look at your hand!” Sylvain looked down and saw his bloody knuckles. _Oh yeah… that._ She looked Sylvain over and murmured, “I’ll be right back.” She then ran down the hall to her room.

Sylvain kept up his pacing while she was gone. His pulse was still racing and it was still hard to getting his breathing under control. After a couple minutes Ingrid came back with bandages and pulled him down to sit beside her on the bed. She took his hand and looked it over. “I don’t think you broke anything, lucky for you. I’ll bandage it up for now, but then you should probably go see Manuela at the infirmary.”

Sylvain shook his head. “Nah. I’m fine Ingrid. Don’t worry about it.”

Ingrid dropped his hand and turned fully to look at him with an especially angry look on her face. “How long have we known each other Sylvain? Don’t insult me and tell me you’re fine. We both know you aren’t. You’re such an idiot sometimes. Why the hell did you punch Claude? You realize you are going to be in tons of trouble, right? What the hell was that?!” She grabbed his hand back, more rough than necessary, and began to wrap it.

“Just stay out of it, Ingrid. It’s none of your business.”

Ingrid scoffed. “You always make it my business, I’m always the one who has to clean up your messes. Usually it’s your stupid skirt-chasing… Now you and Felix have been acting weird since yesterday afternoon, you pulled that stunt in front of Seteth making the new professor look bad, and then you just decked Claude von Riegan! What in the goddess’ name do you think you’re doing?!” She tied off the bandage and stood.

Sylvain let out a dark chuckle. “Nobody asked you to do that, Ingrid. Heck, I thought you’ve been enjoying it this whole time.”

Ingrid scoffed and crossed her arms. “Yeah right. We both know something is wrong with you lately, so why don’t you just tell me now and spare us both the trouble?”

Sylvain stood up and leaned over Ingrid. “I told you it was none of your damn business! Goddess! Why do you have to nag me all the time?! You’re not my mother!”

Ingrid punched him in the arm, hard. “Why do you have to be such an asshole, sometimes?!” She let out a wet sigh with tears in her eyes, left the room and slammed the door behind her.

Sylvain sat on his bed and let out a deep breath. The anger was finally gone, but now he felt numb. _Great now Felix, Claude, and Ingrid all hate me. You’re really winning today, Sylvain._ He ran his uninjured hand through his hair and flopped back on the bed. Suddenly all he could feel was tired. He stared up at the ceiling until he fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote this chapter 5 times and I'm still not sure how I feel about it... 
> 
> Thoughts? Let me know in the comments. Next chapter should be going up tomorrow.


	11. Chapter 11

~Felix~

_Why is Sylvain such an asshole lately?_ As if in response to that very thought, Sylvain stood so fast from his chair, it launched into the desk Felix was sitting at. It made a screech against the stone that made Felix wince. Sylvain didn’t even look at him before leaving the room in a huff. _It’s not like he’s the one who should be angry right now. He just made a fool of Byleth in front of Seteth, that idiot._ Thinking of Byleth made him turn back toward where she was standing, still facing away from everyone with her arms crossed. Dimitri looked like he was going to go up and say something, but Felix cleared his throat and nodded his head toward the door. He seemed to get the hint and everyone followed out after some concerned looks over their shoulders.

  
Felix walked around Byleth’s desk and leaned against it next to her. He didn’t say anything for a long time, waiting for her to collect her thoughts. Her eyes were glazed over and she wasn’t really paying attention to him as she looked over the board in front of her. After a couple seconds she shook her head and turned toward Felix. “I think we have a good group, here. I’m sad there aren’t more sword users, though.” She shrugged.

Felix let out a soft chuckle, and felt his shoulders relax. _Of course she wasn’t upset about Sylvain, this is Byleth._ He shook his head, “I bet you could work with Ashe a bit with a sword. He does look like he would be fast enough, and it would be good back up if he runs out of arrows or someone gets too close.”

Byleth turned to him and he noticed the gleam in her eye. She looked almost excited, if you looked only at her eyes. “That’s a great idea! I’ll need to think of something for Mercedes and Annette as well. They need to have some level of weapons proficiency in case they run out of magic in a longer battle. I don’t think the sword would be right for either of them, though.” She furrowed her brow and looked back toward the board. “I’ll have to wait and see what their interests are over the next couple of weeks.”

Felix nudged her shoulder with his. “It’s lunch right now… would you like to join me?” Byleth nodded and turned to walk toward the door.

They walked side by side toward the dining hall in silence for a while, until Felix finally found the right words. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were going to be a professor. I thought maybe you were going to leave with the mercenaries, again. I never even imagined you were going to stay, let alone teach.” He watched his feet as they walked, silently nudging her whenever she took a wrong turn.

Byleth sighed and said, “Sorry. Only the house leaders were told yesterday. The Archbishop told me to meet all the students and decide which class to teach. I was so busy deciding between you and the Golden Deer, I didn’t even think about telling you.”

Felix felt his cheeks warm as he pondered what she said. _..between me or the Golden Deer. Not the Blue Lions and the Golden Deer.._ they walked in silence for a moment longer before they heard a loud thud and a scream of, “What the HELL?!” Byleth exchanged a look with Felix before sprinting toward the sound.

They parted a couple frozen students before they saw Sylvain standing with a bloody fist, over Claude with a possibly broken nose. Sylvain had an almost surprised look on his face and Claude just looked bewildered. Byleth ran towards Claude and Ingrid ran through the crowd toward Sylvain, shouting his name. Before she could reach him, he ran off toward his room. Felix walked over to Ingrid. “What the hell happened?”

She glanced at him and he noticed she looked just as confused. “I have no idea. Sylvain ran into Claude, they talked for a second and then Sylvain just… punched him. I’ve never seen him like that.” They both turned and watched Byleth fret over Claude. Ingrid shook her head. “I know things have been off between the two of you…”

Felix shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about that. Do you think you could go talk to him? I don’t want to deal with that idiot right now.” Ingrid let out a heavy sigh and nodded before heading towards Sylvain’s room. _I should probably try to make it up to her later…_

Felix walked toward Claude and Byleth. Byleth glanced up at him and shook her head. “I’m sorry about lunch, Felix. I’m going to take Claude up to the infirmary so he can see Manuela. I want to make sure he’s okay before classes start.”

Felix grimaced as he looked at Claude. “Sylvain’s an ass. That’s messed up that he punched you.”

Claude grinned, and then winced when it seemed to hurt. “Honestly, I have no idea what happened. Is he doing okay?”

Felix shook his head and shrugged. “Who knows with that idiot?” He turned toward Byleth, she had a furrow in her brow and her lips were pursed. “No worries about lunch. We’ll grab it another time. Do you need help getting him to the infirmary?”

Claude shook his head and winked. “I’ll be fine with Teach, I’m sure.”

Felix nodded hesitantly. “I’ll see you back at the training grounds later.” He turned and walked back through the crowd of students still standing around whispering about what had happened.

  
He made his way to the dining hall, grabbed some food, and found an empty table to eat at. He wasn’t alone for long before Dimitri came and sat beside him, with Dedue coming to sit across from him. Felix kept his eyes on his food and ate as fast as he could. “Were you able to talk to the professor? Is she terribly upset about Sylvain?” Dimitri sounded hesitant.

Felix raised a brow and looked over at him. “No, she was fine up until Sylvain punched Claude. Now I’m willing to bet she’s... less fine.”

Dimitri gawked at him for a moment before his eyes narrowed. “What does he think he’s doing?! We were very fortunate to get her as our professor. I had been hoping she would pick us, and now he is creating all of these problems on her very first day.” He slammed his fist on the table and seemed to startled himself. “My apologizes, Felix. I’m just upset. I was so glad that she picked us, and now he might ruin it. I wonder what Seteth will do. Will he punish the professor and Sylvain?”

Felix let out a frustrated huff and looked toward Dedue, who had been watching the exchange without saying anything. That wasn’t anything out of the usual. Felix scowled down at his food. Dimitri took a deep breath and spoke again. “You have always been the closest to Sylvain… do you know why he might be acting this way?”

Felix grunted and took another bite of food. That didn’t seem to be enough to make Dimitri go away so he swallowed and turned toward him. “I don’t know. I’m not his keeper. He was being an asshole yesterday, too. We haven’t spoken since then.” 

Dimitri frowned as he stared at him. “I’m sorry to hear that Felix. I figured you guys would be closer now, since we are all at the academy…” He trailed off and didn’t seem to know how to finish his thought.

Felix let out another huff and stood with his half-finished food. “Well, you figured wrong. I’m going to the training grounds, talking about this is pointless.” He turned to put his tray away, and left the room.

~Byleth~

Byleth cast one last glance at Felix before running over to Claude. When he saw her, he gave her his same fake grin, but winced like it hurt. His nose was still bleeding as he tried to hold the bridge of it. She grasped his chin between her fingers and tilted his head around, trying to see if it was broken. He chuckled awkwardly, but she ignored it. It didn’t appear to be broken, but she wasn’t the best one to judge. She released his chin before asking, “Are you alright? What happened here?”

Claude’s brow furrowed and he looked up in thought. He reached one hand up and scratched the back of his head. “I honestly have no idea, Teach. He rammed into me while I was heading to the dining hall, he apologized, I made a comment about how he was lucky you were his new professor… and he punched me? I probably shouldn’t have made a comment. I could tell he was angry. I was just trying to make him lighten up.” He shrugged his shoulders and tilted his head at her.

She sighed and dropped her shoulders. “We really need to get you to the infirmary so Manuela can check you out.” 

Right as she finished speaking a shadow crossed over them. She looked up and saw it was Felix standing above her. “I’m sorry about lunch, Felix. I’m going to take Claude up to the infirmary so he can see Manuela. I want to make sure he’s okay before classes start.”

Felix grimaced as he looked at Claude. He looked as confused as everyone else did. “Sylvain’s an ass. That’s messed up that he punched you.”

**"He’s not even defending his friend. That’s odd, is it not?"**

_"I don’t know. He was walking toward Ingrid earlier, maybe she saw what happened and told him. It seems like Claude didn’t really do anything to provoke him. It sounds like he did this because he was upset about… me? But that doesn’t make any sense."_

Claude grinned, and then winced. His nose must really be hurting. “Honestly, I have no idea what happened. Is he doing okay?”

Felix shook his head and shrugged. “Who knows with that idiot?” Byleth was confused. _They used to be such good friends? What happened to them? They have both changed so much._ Felix turned toward her with a grim half smile. “No worries about lunch. We’ll grab it another time. Do you need help getting him to the infirmary?”

Claude shook his head and responded before she could. “I’ll be fine with Teach, I’m sure.” Byleth raised a brow at him, but Felix just nodded.

“I’ll see you back at the training grounds later.” He turned and walked back through the crowd of students that were still watching what was happening. 

_"I’m worried about him."_

**"Unfortunately, now is not the time for that. You need to get the curious one to a healer before he has a disfigured nose to mar his beautiful face."** Sothis laughed in her melodic way. It was weird to hear her teasing. " **This has been far too much excitement for me. I’m going back to sleep."**

Byleth shook her head and focused back on Claude. “Can you stand up?”

Claude nodded. “He only punched me. I’m not an invalid, Teach.”

He stood and wobbled a little bit. Byleth wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders and looped hers around his waist. “Alright, not an invalid, I’m going to support you just in case.”

Claude snickered. “Teach! Was that sarcasm? From you?”

Byleth huffed. “You met my father.”

Claude tipped his head back and let out a laugh before quickly bringing his head back down with a quiet “ouch”. “Teach! Don’t make me laugh. I’m injured!” He pouted, _it was weirdly cute_ , and then gave her a wink as they started walking toward the infirmary. 

Seteth was standing in the doorway watching Manuela and Hanneman bicker when they walked up. He turned and his eyes went wide as he took them in. “What is this? What happened? Manuela!” The mage in question stuck her head out and quickly ushered them in. Byleth assisted Claude in sitting on the bed Manuela was preparing and stepped back to let her work. Manuela’s hand lit up with her holy magic and she waved it in front of Claude’s nose. Claude sighed as the magic started to work.

Manuela let out a little giggle before saying, “You were very lucky, young man. It’s not broken, but it will still bruise and be tender for a while. Come and see me once a day for the next couple days and I’ll speed up the healing process, alright? Don’t want to blemish that pretty face of yours, now do we?”

She tapped his cheek with her pointer finger and he winked back at her. “Thanks Manuela! I appreciate you looking after my rugged good looks!” He smirked and threw his hands behind his head.

Seteth stepped forward and cleared his throat in his “I disapprove of this” way he always does. “What happened, Riegan?” Claude seemed to deflate and he glanced over at Byleth. Her only answer was a shrug. All of this seemed to be on Sylvain, he would have to deal with this himself.

Claude nodded and turned back to Seteth. “Sylvain Gautier ran into me while I was walking to the dining hall. He apologized, we talked for a moment… and then he punched me.” Claude threw his hands out in front of him when it looked like Seteth was going to reprimand him. “I swear I didn’t do anything. He seemed like he was having a rough day. I’m not mad.”

Seteth groaned and rubbed his temples before turning toward Byleth. “Why is it always him, today?”

Byleth shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. I just tried to help clean up the mess.” She motioned toward Claude, who snickered.

Seteth looked less than amused. “What did Mister Gautier mean when he said you two had… history? Does that have something to do with all this?” Byleth could see Claude and Manuela both raise their brows at the insinuation. Hanneman seemed to have cleared the room as soon as they entered.

Byleth sighed and sat in the chair near the bed Claude was on. “It’s nothing like that. We met under very… trying circumstances… that are not mine to divulge. Lord Rodrigue Fraldarius then hired me to train Sylvain and Felix for a month while my father went and fought at the Sreng border. It was about 5 or maybe 6 years ago?” She paused and tried to think about it. “Anyway, I haven’t seen or heard anything about them since.”

Manuela laughed and put a hand on Seteth’s shoulder. “The Gautier boy probably just said something to get a rise out of you, Seteth. We all know how he can be.”

Seteth was still watching Byleth intently and she met his gaze without flinching. _Two can play this, “I have a scary stare” game._ He sighed and the tension seemed to leave his shoulders. “Well thank you for helping bring the Riegan boy up.” He nodded at both of them. “You are dismissed. Miss Eisner, I believe you have a class to get to.” Her eyes widened as she nodded to everyone one last time and ran toward the training ground, taking the stairs two at a time.

  
She stopped outside the training grounds to collect herself, before noticing she had blood on her sleeve from helping Claude. _Oh well. We are just training anyway._ She took a deep breath and entered. Everyone was already there, except for Sylvain. She tried not to roll her eyes. _Of course, he didn’t show up. What is going on with him?_ She shook her head and walked toward the far end. The class all gathered around her in a semi-circle awaiting instruction. Ingrid and Felix were both fuming and Dimitri was awkwardly trying to keep a brave face on to rally everyone. Everyone else seemed to be in good spirits, though. She tried to focus on those that had shown up.

“Alright! I’m going to pair you up so you guys can spar. I will be walking around to survey everyone so I can get an idea of the different skill levels. Ashe, I’m going to set you up near a target. We’ll have you work on form today.” She clapped her hands. “Okay! Let’s get started.”

She paired Felix with Ingrid, and Dimitri with Dedue. She walked over to Annette and Mercedes who seemed hesitant. “What’s up guys?”

Mercedes stepped forward wringing her hands. “Professor, all I know how to do is a basic heal spell. I want to be a bishop, not a fighter.”

Byleth put a hand on her shoulder as she had seen people do when trying to calm people down. “I’ve been hired to teach you to fight, but I understand the hesitation… However, it’s important that you learn how to fight so you can keep yourself safe as a last resort.” She paused and looked down at the floor.

Mercedes put her hand over Byleth’s. “I appreciate that you care… wait. Is that blood on your sleeve? Are you alright, professor?”

Byleth brought her head up to look at her arm, she had completely forgotten that was there. “Oh, yes! I’m fine. I was helping Claude up to the infirmary and some must have gotten on me.”

Annette stepped forward shaking her head. “Mercie and I were eating in the dining hall when we heard about Sylvain and Claude.”

Mercedes nodded her head, her face grave. “Is Sylvain alright, Professor?” _I didn’t even check on my student. I was so worried about Claude, I didn’t even think about checking on Sylvain!_ Her thoughts must have shown on her face because Mercedes patted her hand. “It’s alright, professor. It’s been a crazy first day. It was good that you took care of the injured student first. That would have been my first thought, too!”

Annette nodded. “Yeah! It’s totally fine, Professor! Sylvain has just been acting strange the last couple days, that’s the only reason we were worried. But it’s not like you would know that.”

Byleth looked between the two of them. “Annette, how about you go and join Ashe near the targets. Try and work on your wind spell a little bit.” She turned to Mercedes, “You and I are going to go check on Sylvain. Judging by Claude’s nose, Sylvain’s hand might need some healing. We’ll get you some practice, and make sure he’s alright.” She walked over to the knight that was overseeing the training grounds and explained the situation. He agreed to watch the students for a while.

She clapped her hands and everyone stopped what they were doing. “Mercedes and I are going to go and take care of something. Keep sparring, we will be back in a couple minutes.” They turned to walk out when Byleth heard Ingrid shout for her.

Ingrid jogged up with her training lance. “Are you going to check on Sylvain?” Byleth nodded her head. Ingrid had a grim expression on her face. “I checked on him right after the incident with Claude.” She winced and paused. “He was still really angry when I spoke with him. He might have calmed down by now, but I wanted to warn you just in case.”

Mercedes put a hand on Ingrid’s shoulder. “Are you alright?”

Ingrid nodded and looked to the side. “I’m used to my friends being prickly by now.” She looked so sad as she said it, Byleth could feel her mouth shift downward slightly.

“Hey Ingrid, will you have dinner with me tonight? I’d like to talk about your goals for what you want to learn at the academy.”

Ingrid looked up, fairly surprised. “Yes, of course Professor. Are you sure that won’t be too much trouble?”

Byleth tried to make her face look comforting, but probably failed. “No. I’m going to meet with everyone one on one. I want to make sure I’m helping all of my students.” Making the excuse seemed to pacify her, she nodded and smiled before running back to Felix who had been watching them.

Byleth turned to Mercedes. “You don’t have to come if you don’t wish to. I can handle him if he’s still angry.”

Mercedes shook her head. “I’ll be fine. I’m sure I can deal with Sylvain.” Her tone was almost ominous, like there was more implied, but Byleth brushed that off.

Byleth nodded. “Alright, let’s go.”

  
Mercedes led her to Sylvain’s room. When they got there Mercedes knocked, but they didn’t get a response. She knocked even harder and called his name, “Sylvain? Are you in there?” Soon there was a shuffling behind the door and he called out, “Just a second!” He ripped open the door and Byleth looked him over. His hair was tousled and his eyelids were heavy. He must have fallen asleep, that was why he wasn’t at the training grounds. _You’ve got to be kidding me._

Mercedes had her same sweet smile. “The professor and I were worried about you, so we decided to come and check on you. Do you mind if we come in so I can take a look at your hand?” She motioned to his wrapped hand.

Sylvain had that same plastered grin on his face when he looked Mercedes over. “Oh! The lovely Mercedes is worried about me? It’s my lucky day! Come on in!” Mercedes walked in and pulled Sylvain’s desk chair out and motioned for him to sit on the bed. Byleth leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed.

Mercedes hummed while she looked over Sylvain’s hand. “Well, it doesn’t look like it’s broken. I’ll be able to heal you up easily.” She held Sylvain’s hand in both of hers and they started to glow with her faith magic. When she took her hands away, his hand seemed mostly healed. “You might want to see Manuela to make sure everything is alright, my faith magic is still very basic. She’ll be able to do much better.”

Sylvain winked at her and gave her a smile. “This is great Mercedes! I already feel much better.”

Mercedes gave her sweet little giggle before standing and facing Byleth. “I’m going to head back to the training grounds. Let me know if I can do anything else to help.” Byleth nodded and stepped aside so she could pass, but took up her place in the doorway again to see if Sylvain would explain himself.

He sat on the bed and flexed his healed hand. It still looked bruised, but the cuts had closed up. Training would be out of the question for a couple days, so no mock battle for him. _I really need to figure out who I’m going to ask to participate in that. I need to get back to the training grounds so I can see how everyone is doing. I should figure out what Sylvain’s deal is though..._ She cleared her throat and he glanced up at her before looking back down at his hand. “Do you mind if I come in?”

All he did was nod. She walked over and sat where Mercedes had been sitting and touched his uninjured arm. “I hear you had a rough day.”

He chuckled, but it sounded defeated. “I guess you could say that.”

Byleth sighed. “Would you like to talk about it? Your friends are all worried about you.”

He finally looked up and kept her gaze. “Why would they be? I’ve been a jerk lately.”

Byleth moved her hand up to his shoulder. “We all have bad days, Sylvain. My father has moods all the time. The people who care about you are still going to be there. I’m here for you, too, but only if you want me to be.” 

Sylvain grimaced and looked back down at his lap. “You always say shit like that.”

Byleth furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?”

Sylvain brushed her hand off his shoulder and glared up at her. “Even when you didn’t know me you protected me from Miklan, twice! You always talked about how you wanted to protect Felix and I when you barely knew us. You said the same thing in class today.”

Byleth sat back in her chair and tilted her head. “Wait, you’re upset that I want to protect you and your classmates?”

Sylvain groaned and covered his face with his hands. “Yes! No… it sounds stupid when you say it like that. Ugh! I don't know why I'm mad. I don't know why I did any of it.” He ran his hand through his hair and Byleth couldn’t help noticing he actually looked upset. It was the first time she had seen him express a genuine emotion. Even if it was negative, it was sort of refreshing, like he was actually there.

“Well, you’ve probably noticed I’m not great with… emotions. I can’t sit here and help you with your anger that you very obviously have. The only thing I know how to do is try to keep the people I care about safe. I cared about you and Felix then, just as I do now. My whole life has been about fighting. It’s the only thing I’m good at. I’m just a weapon that can keep you safe.”

Sylvain looked back down at his hand. “It was pretty messed up that I punched Claude, huh?”

Byleth shrugged. “You should probably apologize. But right now, I want you to go and see Manuela about your hand, then come back here and rest. Take a few days off training, then you and I are going to do some one on one to make up the lost time after the mock battle. Understood?”

He furrowed his brow. “Why?”

Byleth shook her head, stood, and walked toward the door. “I need to know where your skills lie, Sylvain. For now, I need to get back to your classmates. You are going to make it up later.”

Sylvain stood and nodded. “Alright. I will, Professor.”

She hummed at the title and put a hand on the door frame. “I don’t know what’s going on with you and Felix, but I hope you guys can work it out.” She walked away without looking at his reaction.

  
**"You are not just a weapon to keep people safe, you know…"** Sothis spoke quietly, even though no one else could hear her.

Byleth shrugged outwardly, then realized she probably looked ridiculous. " _That’s what my whole life has been. It’s the only thing I’m good at, but I still want to help my class."_

Sothis hummed a tune quietly as Byleth made her way to the training grounds. **"** **It seems you have already developed a softness for the children. I will do my best to help you."**

  
_Thank you, Sothis. If today is any indicator, I’m going to need it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Going to fast forward a bit in the next chapter. Don't really need a play by play of the mock battle, I want to get to the juicy stuff. Also, I just want some sarcastic Byleth... I feel like it should be canon because Jeralt totally comes off as sarcastic dad.


	12. Chapter 12

~Sylvain~

It had been several days since the incident with Claude. He had gotten his hand fixed up by Manuela, and then was immediately pulled in to an hour-long lecture from Seteth about treating his professor and fellow classmates with respect befitting a noble of his station. It took everything in Sylvain to not roll his eyes and leave, but he got through it. Seteth had tried to be nice and say he was there to listen if Sylvain wanted to talk, but Sylvain didn’t really trust him. Seteth had also informed him that the professor would be tasked with giving him his punishment. She forced him to do stable duty with His Highness on the next free day and he had felt thoroughly scolded. Dimitri had been yelling at him the entire time and it ended up being completely exhausting. The professor had sat in the shade and supervised with an amused twinkle in her eye, and Sylvain could tell she was getting a kick out of it. Oh well, he deserved it.

He had apologized to Claude, who had been surprisingly cool about everything. They even agreed to get together and play chess later that day. Sylvain had been working on his façade long enough to recognize another’s, but he didn’t ask too many questions. He figured they both had things they didn’t want people to know about. They flirted a bit, keeping it all surface level. He was fun to talk to, maybe they could even be friends.

Things were still tense with Felix and Ingrid. It wouldn’t be as easy with them as it had been with Claude, and he wasn’t sure how to make things better. Dimitri was also very snippy with him, some nonsense about almost losing the professor because of his lack of control or something. Sylvain figured he would get over it eventually, and he seemed to after the mock battle. The professor had taken Dimitri, Dedue, Felix, and Ashe into the mock battle, and they had bested everyone. None of them had been taken out of the fight, and everyone seemed impressed by the professor’s tactics. Dimitri was enamored, Felix was excited, Ingrid seemed to like following a strong female around for once. He couldn’t blame her, their whole lives it had been Ingrid stuck with the boys. She never seemed to mind, but she seemed to finally have a female to look up to. It was kind of cute to watch.

Sylvain spent most of his time flirting and going on dates after the incident with Claude. It was a good way to distract himself from all of the conflicting emotions being around the professor brought up, and it helped him blow off some steam. Felix and Ingrid were less than pleased by it, but it was better than him blowing up at someone again. And he was trying his best to stay on good terms with the professor so they stayed off his back for the most part.

Things between Sylvain and the professor… Byleth… had been a little better after the night she and Mercedes had come to check on him. Sylvain knew he had messed up, and he did kind of feel bad that he had made her first day so complicated. They just gave each other space most of the time.

Sylvain felt the beginnings of respect as he watched her with the rest of his classmates, those first few weeks. She was awkward for the first couple weeks when it came to the written instruction, but when they worked on their weapons training, she was in her element. She was firm but fair in her teaching. Everyone was becoming used to the soft touches when their form was adjusted, the whispered words of encouragement she left as she monitored everyone. Her praise wasn’t given flippantly and you could see the sense of pride in the students faces when they were given a compliment.

Some were still hesitant around her. Ashe became a stuttering mess if she ever singled him out for too long. He had told Sylvain that her lack of expression unnerved him, even if he could tell she was trying. Dedue was even more stoic around her, he seemed to respect her due to the fact that she had saved His Highness, but he still watched her from afar. It seemed like he was trying to determine her intentions, but Sylvain couldn’t be sure. Dedue never let himself be part of the group, despite Dimitri’s insistence. Mercedes and Annette were kind whenever she was around, but they didn’t talk to her as much as they spoke with everyone else. Overall, her biggest fans were Felix, Dimitri, and Ingrid. All of his childhood friends trained with her nonstop, and if Sylvain was being honest with himself, he was a bit jealous.

His childhood friends would always train on the opposite end of the training grounds while the professor drilled him through his routines with his lance. He had to admit that he was getting a lot better through their one on one instruction. She had made good on her promise, or threat rather, that he would make up the time that he had missed due to his hand injury. Sylvain wasn’t one for training like Felix, Dimitri, and Ingrid were. They were much more driven than he was, but he found himself enjoying it all the same. He would make sure to keep his nonchalant mask on, always making jokes and fake flirting with her whenever he got the chance. The professor never took him seriously, she always just pushed him harder.

The professor had told them that they were going on their first real mission at the end of the month. They had been tasked to go and subdue a group of bandits in the Red Canyon. What was even more interesting was the fact that it was the same group of bandits that had gone after Dimitri and the other house leaders. All of the students, including Sylvain, had been confused. Why were they being sent on a life or death mission their first month at the monastery? Byleth had seemed frustrated as she told them, but wouldn’t share any of her thoughts. She had told them that she was going to train them as hard as she could to get them ready, but the unease was palpable amongst his classmates. 

The professor had set it up so they could have a practice battle with the Knights of Seiros two weeks before they were set to travel to Zanado. They were told it was for the purpose of practicing their formations and gaining experience with what it was like to listen to the professor’s commands while in a battle. It ended up being some newer recruits, and the class had done rather well. Everyone came together to have dinner afterward and the professor had gone through everyone’s performance and things they needed to work on before they left for their mission. It was getting close, and everyone was nervous.

They knew that the upcoming mission was not going to be like the mock battles they had had. “It’s going to be kill or be killed out there.” Byleth had stated matter-of-factly in class the day after. “I will be there to make sure nothing gets out of hand, but I need you to watch out for each other. Listen to Dimitri and I, and all will be well.” 

He, Felix, Dimitri, and Dedue were all able to pass their first set of certifications. Sylvain was given a set of real armor to show that he was officially certified as a soldier. His lance skills were improving rapidly, all thanks to the professor. Ingrid was pretty upset that Sylvain had passed his certifications before she did. “You’re always good at everything without even trying! It sucks!” She had whined. Sylvain just laughed and shrugged. They didn’t need to know that he was actually trying to get better so he could protect them. Let them think he doesn’t care.

Mercedes birthday ended up being the day before they had to leave for their mission. Annette had gotten all the classmates together for a little party in the courtyard. Dedue cooked up a meal from Duscur at Ashe’s insistence. Ingrid was awkward about it, but Dimitri was able to smooth things out without too much difficulty. Mercedes brought out the vase of flowers that the professor had brought to her for her birthday as a decoration for the table. Mercedes gushed about how pretty they were. “I didn’t even tell her my birthday was coming up? How do you think she knew?” She sighed and looked at the flowers again. “It was really sweet of her, wasn’t it?”

They managed to keep things light and fun until the topic of the mission came up. “Do you think we’ll really have to kill those bandits?” Ashe had hesitantly asked. Sylvain nodded his head. He understood his apprehension. Dimitri and Felix were the only ones that had any experience in a real fight due to an uprising that had happened a two years before they all headed to the academy. They both looked grim when asked what it was like. That was right around the time Felix started calling Dimitri a boar. Sylvain wondered if having to kill people really changed them that much. He also wondered how it would change him and the rest of his friends.

  
Dimitri pounded on his door early the morning after Mercedes party. “Sylvain! We need to get going. The professor has received word from the scouts. Grab your things and meet us in the Entrance Hall immediately.” Sylvain could hear him running around knocking on everyone’s door to get them going. When he got to the Entrance Hall everyone was already there. They stood around the professor as she gave them the news. 

“The knights have reported back. The last of the bandits have been cornered in Zanado, the Red Canyon, just as expected.”

Ashe put on a brave face, even if his hands were still trembling. “We certainly can’t allow those underhanded thieves to get away. Let’s work together and do our best to take them down!”

Felix scoffed like it was nothing, but he wouldn’t meet anyone’s eye. “We’re just fighting common thieves, right? I don’t expect much of a challenge.” He had already been in a combat situation before, but Sylvain couldn’t shake the fact that Felix was nervous.

Everyone nodded their heads and began the work of loading their things into the waiting caravan. A group of knights came to escort and supervise, in case anything goes wrong. Zanado was a half a days’ journey away, they would need to camp tonight when all of this was done. Tomorrow they would return to the monastery. 

_Hopefully._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter was short and all over the place. I wanted to skip over the mock battle and talk about how the students were adjusting to Byleth being around. 
> 
> Next chapter will be the battle in Zanado!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zanado fight and some of the fallout.

~Byleth~

**“So we are taking children into battle, are we? I am not certain I will be able to sleep soundly after beholding something like that… I shall allow you to turn back the hands of time, but know this power is not infinite!”** Sothis’ voice in the back of her mind had become something of a comfort. Byleth let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding.

 _“Thank you Sothis. I worry for them. This will be a day that they will never forget. I’m sorry that they have to do any of this, especially so early in the year. I thought I would have more time to prepare them.”_ Sothis appeared before her, floating backwards. Her face was sympathetic as they continued on to the Red Canyon, Zanado.

**“It is not your fault, dear one. That Rhea woman seems to be determined to test you and your young lions, even though you are a but a young one yourself. I side with your father… she is not to be trusted.”**

  
Dimitri cleared his throat as he walked up behind her. “The Red Canyon. I have heard few stories of this place, other than the fact that it is sacred to the church. This is the first time I have ever been here. It’s like walking through a ruin, isn’t it?” He paused and scanned the terrain just as she was. “Let’s get this battle out of the way, Professor. The thieves have already been driven back.”

She nodded grimly and had everyone circle up. “Alright everyone. Dedue, Felix, and Sylvain I want you taking the front. Dimitri and Ingrid, you will be just behind to lend support. I will be just behind you. Mercedes, Annette, and Ashe, I need you to bring up the rear. You guys have very little armor, I never want you anywhere close to the bandits, provide support from afar and yell if you need help. Does everyone understand?” Everyone nodded, their faces pale and drawn. Byleth looked at every face in front of her. She truly had developed a soft spot for her young lions. “I know you all can do this. You have already grown a lot since I first got here. I will be with you, every step of the way. I will not let any of you fall.” She gave the signal and everyone got into their places.

There were two men on the first bridge. One rushed Felix and he was able to finish them off with ease. His face was pale as he looked down at the bandit. “Finished already? I was hoping for more of a challenge.” Byleth shook her head. She knew Dimitri and Felix were the only ones with any form of combat experience, but they were obviously still taking it to heart. Dedue was able to finish off the other bandit, but he didn’t say a word. They all passed over the bridge and worked together to take out the bandits on the other side. Byleth tried to take out as many of the bandits as she could with her sword and fire magic, but there were so many bandits she had to rely on the students to take out the rest. 

  
While they were getting everything together and drinking vulneraries to get ready for the last group of bandits, Dimitri approached her. “There is a second bridge to the west, Professor. If we split up, we can approach them from both sides.” Byleth felt a tightness in her chest. The thought of not being right beside any of the students in case something went wrong made her nervous.

 **“I have the ability to watch over them for you. If something happens, we can turn back the hands of time and help them. I am here to support you.”** Sothis whispered to her.

Byleth nodded to Dimitri. “Alright. I want you to take Dedue and Felix. If there are too many enemies, I want you to retreat. Do you understand? You gain nothing from recklessness. I need you safe.” Dimitri nodded and walked over to Dedue and Felix to let them know what was happening.

Felix scoffed at him and stomped toward her. “Why do you want me going with the boar? I want to fight by your side.”

Byleth sighed and rolled her shoulders. “Felix, I trust you to keep Dimitri and Dedue safe. You are one of my best fighters, if I can’t be there myself I want you there. I would think that was obvious.”

Felix’s face flushed as he messed with the pommel of his sword. “Fine.” He grumbled. “But that doesn’t mean I like any of this.” Byleth patted his shoulder and walked toward the group she would be leading. 

  
“Let’s get going. We have a few more bandits and then we can get out of here.” Everyone nodded solemnly. She turned toward Felix and Dedue, “Please be safe.” They each nodded and followed Dimitri. “Hey Dimitri!” she called at the last minute, “I want to try and get some answers from the leader of the bandits. Maybe we can figure out why he targeted you.” His eyes were dark as he scowled in the direction of the leader. He nodded before walking toward the pathway he would take.

Byleth and her group were met with two archers on the other side of the next bridge. Mercedes was able to use Nosferatu on the first with Ingrid finishing him off, while Ashe and Annette worked to take out the next. Sylvain surprised her by being able to take out one of the bandits who tried to go after Annette. He was vigilant in watching over his companions and Byleth couldn’t help being proud. His voice cracked as he whispered, “I had to do it. Please forgive me.” Byleth was sure it would probably haunt her later. All of them were pale, and Ashe looked like he might puke. _I need to try and think of something to make them feel better when we get back to the monastery. I’ll think about it later._

_“Sothis… how are the others doing?”_

**“The scowling one you are so very fond of has taken out the last of the bandits on that side. They are heading toward the leader.”**

_“Thank you, Sothis.”_

  
When they were all together again, the only bandit left was the leader. It was the same man that had attempted to kill Edelgard the night they had all met. Byleth circled her finger in the air and her students surrounded him, with Mercedes, Annette, and Ashe waiting in the back to provide support. The bandit leader looked desperate as he looked around at Byleth’s students. He knew he had lost, and that made him even more dangerous. “Spoiled little nobles! Just die like good little rich kids!”

Dimitri’s eyes went dark and a scowl curled his lip up. “Unfortunately for you, I will not oblige. You will regret all that you have done.” The leader began to panic. Byleth tried to stop Dimitri, but he charged at the leader anyway. The leader saw him coming and swung his axe, managing to hit Dimitri’s side slightly before he could get out of the way.

“Your Highness!” Byleth charged in to cover him as Dedue grabbed him and dragged him back to Mercedes. He was still conscious, grunting at the pain. Mercedes was trying her best to heal him, but she already looked exhausted from all of the magic she had been using. _I need to finish this quickly._ Byleth tightened her grip on her sword and widened into a defensive stance. 

Felix began to step forward, but when she shook her head, he stepped back to let her take over. The bandit leader’s eyes widened. “Wait. You’re the Ashen Demon! You were there that night when I was supposed to kill the brats. You work for the damned church now?!” She stepped forward with a nod of her head. He swung at her, but she dodged it easily. She swung her sword and disarmed him, and she placed her sword near his throat as he squirmed.

“What makes a group of bandits go after the three most important kids in all of Fodlan?” She kept her face impassive, but inside she was boiling.

The leader paled. “What?! What are you talking about? He hired us to kill some noble brats. That’s it!”

Byleth took another step forward so her face was closer to him, sword still at his throat. “Those “noble brats” were the prince of Faerghus, the princess of the Adrestian Empire, and the future leader of the Alliance. Are you telling me you were foolish enough to take a contract without knowing who the targets were?” She stared at him and the leader paled even further. She let him create some distance, but made sure he didn’t get too close to the students.

“I never should have listened to him. I never should have taken the contract!”

She bristled and when she spoke next it came out as a growl. “Who hired you?”

The leader sneered at her. “I never should have listened to that idiot… what a mistake. If I’m going down, I’m taking you with me bitch!” He pulled a dagger from his belt and charged her with a yell.

Felix yelled, “BYLETH!” but she saw it coming. With one swipe of her sword she slit his throat. He was dead before he hit the ground.

Byleth stepped forward to make sure he was dead this time. She wiped her sword on his tunic and stored it back in the sheathe on her side. Felix stepped forward and stared at her with a weird look in his eyes. “So that was the Ashen Demon… I’m glad I’m on your side.”

Ashe was pale when he spoke. “Ashen Demon? What do you mean by that Felix?” In her peripheral view she saw Felix glanced at her but she didn’t want to look at him. She walked over to Dimitri to check how Mercedes was handling his wound.

Everyone seemed to be staring at Felix and he was starting to fidget. “When I first met the professor, she and her father had been hired by Margrave Gautier because their monikers were famous throughout Fodlan. Her father is Jeralt the Blade Breaker, and the professor was known as the Ashen Demon.” 

Byleth felt strangely anxious. She didn’t like listening to Felix talk about her nickname, she had never liked it when people called her that. As she chanced a glance at some of her students, she realized they all looked pale and scared. Was it because of the battle, or from watching her deal with the leader? She just hoped she hadn’t done anything that warranted them being scared of her.

Satisfied that Dimitri would be alright to make it back to camp, she stood and clapped to get everyone’s attention. “Alright everyone. Let’s leave the rest of the work for the knights. Let’s get out of this canyon and go set up camp.” Everyone nodded and headed out.

Just before she turned to follow, she glanced at a part of the ruins and felt a weird stirring in her chest. _I remember this being a peaceful place…_

**“Hmm… I wonder why it is you recall this place. Well, anyhow… I am quite fascinated by this place. As far as I can tell, this is your first time here…”**

_“Have you been here before, Sothis?”_

**“Here? I daresay it would be impossible to have forgotten such a place as this. I must admit I am unsure. Beyond the name and the strange feeling of familiarity, I can’t seem to remember anything about the place. And yet… a great depth of emotion is tied to that sense of familiarity. Like joy and sorrow. Pain and love. And all things in between… If I was somehow here before, I wonder what took place… Oh! Pay attention! Someone is here!”**

Byleth jumped and turned around to see Felix. His brow was furrowed with concern. He must have been trying to get her attention for a while. “Byl.. Professor? Are you alright? We were making our way to the campsite and I noticed you weren’t behind us. Are you injured?” Byleth shook her head. “No. I’m fine. Lead the way.” He nodded and waited for her to walk beside him.

They were able to get to the camp they had set up relatively quickly. Ashe and Dedue took over cooking duty while everyone else worked on weapon maintenance and rested. Mercedes and Annette seemed to be more tired than the others due to all the magic usage. Mercedes was in particularly rough shape from all of the healing she did in the battle. She was trying to do another round of healing on Dimitri’s side when she started to fall over. Sylvain caught her and lifted her up bridal style. “Professor!”

She rushed to her bag to grab some of her rations and her water skin. “I’ve got her. Dimitri you stay there, I’ll come and work on your side as soon as I get Mercedes to her tent.” 

Sylvain raised a brow. “Are you sure, Professor? I don’t mind carrying her.” Mercedes tried to protest but Byleth didn’t listen. She placed the supplies in Mercedes lap and took her from Sylvain’s arms and walked her to her tent. Sylvain let out an exasperated laugh but Byleth didn’t pay any attention. She was far more worried about her healer. She got Mercedes into her shared tent with Annette and laid her down on her bedroll. 

Mercedes sighed and said, “Thank you, Professor. I’m sorry for the trouble.”

Byleth shook her head and furrowed her brow. “No, Mercedes. It’s no trouble, I’m just worried. You can’t push it while you are in this early stage of learning. I tried to do that when I was learning reason magic and the burnout was awful.” She paused and scanned Mercedes for any injuries. “Here, drink some of this and nibble on a bit of this dried meat. I want you to lay down until dinner. I’ll have Annette come and keep you company.”

Mercedes giggled and shook her head. “You really do care about us, don’t you Professor?”

Byleth nodded. “Of course, I do. You are my lions… I can’t let anything happen to you. Now drink and nibble, don’t eat too fast.” She stood and exited the tent. She walked over to Annette and leaned close to whisper in her ear. “Will you go and keep Mercedes company? I want her to lay down until dinner. She needs water and to nibble some food. It would do both of you some good, actually. Can I count on you?”

Annette blushed a bit, but had a look of determination on her face as she exclaimed, “Of course! You can count on me, Professor!” She tripped over a rock as she scurried over to the tent. 

  
With that finished she scanned the camp for Dimitri. She couldn’t see him so she walked over to the campfire where Dedue was working on the food with Ashe. “Dedue. Do you know where Dimitri is?”

Dedue nodded his head, and pointed toward Dimitri’s tent. “His Highness said he was going to lay down, you will find him there.” She gave a slight nod to Dedue then went back to her bag to grab her first aid supplies. When she was outside Dimitri’s tent she called out to him. “Dimitri, it’s me. Can I come in? I want to take a look at your injury.”

Dimitri called back, “Come in, Professor!”

She lifted the flap to find him on his bedroll, he was pale and clutching his side. He chuckled awkwardly as she looked him over. “I guess the walk to camp was a little too much for me. I’ll be fine, really. No need to be worried about me, Professor.”

She shook her head. “No, I’m going to look at your wound. Will you remove your tunic so I can get a better look at it, please?” Dimitri’s cheeks were pink and he stammered for a bit before finally removing his tunic. The axe had caught him right below his ribs on his right side. It was fairly shallow, but it looked like it had bled a lot in the time it took to walk back to camp. The tunic he had discarded and his pants were both covered in blood.

Byleth shook her head and knelt down beside him. “You need to take more care, Dimitri.” She took a vulnerary from the pile of supplies and handed it to him. He drank it as she started to clean the wound.

“I know, Professor. I’m sorry. I got so angry when I saw the man who attacked us in Remire… I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

She nodded and kept working. “I think that’s why I’ve always had an advantage on the battlefield. I don’t usually feel much while I’m fighting. It makes it a lot easier when you have a clear head.”

Dimitri nodded but seemed to hesitate before speaking again. “Is that why they called you the Ashen Demon? I must admit I had heard stories of a fearsome mercenary that worked with the Blade Breaker. They were a duo that was not to be trifled with. The Ashen Demon was said to have cut their opponents down with no remorse…” he trailed off awkwardly.

Byleth shook her head. “Emotions are not easy for me. I don’t like taking lives… but I can imagine how my face would make it seem like I don’t feel anything.”

Dimitri shook his head and chuckled. “I have seen how you care for us, Professor. It may not always show on your face, but I trust that you do care for us. In order to do that you must have emotions.” She nodded slowly and helped him to sit up so she could wrap his torso.

His cheeks were pink and he was breathing heavily like he was nervous. _He’s probably not used to women doing first aid while he’s half naked. Oh well, he’ll have to get used to it._ Dimitri cleared his throat and tried to start the conversation again. “I heard that Jeralt is once again a Knight of Seiros. Perhaps one of these days we’ll have the good fortune of seeing you two fight side by side.”

Byleth shrugged. “We’ve fought together many times.”

Once she had tied off the bandage, she looked at his face, he looked incredibly sheepish. “Oh, of course. I apologize for letting my childish whims get the better of me. In all honesty, I’m a bit jealous. My parents are no longer around…” 

Byleth leaned over and handed him a fresh tunic. “No longer around?” Dimitri’s eyes held that darkness she had seen before, and it shocked her how it completely changed his face. “They… they died. Both of them. I’m all that remains of them now.” He wouldn’t meet her gaze and she felt a tightness in her chest seeing his distress, she hadn’t meant to upset him.

She took one of his hands in both of hers, like Felix used to do when they were young. His cheeks were pink again as he continued staring at the ground. “I’m sorry. That must have been hard. I never knew my mother, so part of me understands. But I know I was fortunate to always have Jeralt.” They sat in silence for a while, while she stroked his hand with her thumbs. Finally, an idea came to her.

“What if I set up a spar with Jeralt? It would be an opportunity for you students to see how we fight?”

Dimitri finally raised his eyes to hers and he gave her a soft smile. His eyes were back to the shining clear blue she had become so used to. “As I said before, I’ve heard great things about how the two of you fight. It would be an honor to watch you spar.”

She nodded and squeezed his hand. “If it will make you happy, I will speak with him when we get back to the monastery. You can invite anyone who would like to watch. Maybe it will help get everyone’s mind off of this mission”

He finally gave her a big smile, and she knew she would set up the spar either way if it kept that darkness away. “Thank you, Professor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to highlight that Byleth already feels a tremendous amount of pressure to keep Dimitri happy. I think she and Felix are the only ones who truly see how deep the darkness goes, and it'll probably create a lot of tension down the road.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix, Sylvain, and Byleth attempt some bonding time, and Jeralt and Byleth spar.

~Felix~

Felix woke the morning after the Zanado fight sore and exhausted. Judging by the light that was filtering through the crack of the tent’s entrance, it was still very early morning. Sylvain was still lightly snoring on the other side of their tent. He watched him for a while and realized it had been a long time since they had been in this type of situation. They hadn’t slept in the same room since Miklan… happened. A situation that used to bring comfort as a kid now had his stomach in knots. They had both been awkward and tense the day before when they realized they had been placed together when Byleth assigned tents. Felix sighed and rubbed his hands down his face, picturing the weird look in Sylvain’s eyes over the camp when she had announced it.

Things had been a bit better between them, though they never actually talked about their fight and it hung in the air between them. Ever since the day Sylvain had punched Claude von Riegan, he’d been ramping up his flirting. Felix had hardly seen him without someone on his arm in the last month and every time it happened there was a heaviness in his chest that he didn’t want to acknowledge. Even after he had slipped up and told Sylvain how much his behavior hurt him, Sylvain was still back to his same bullshit. Sylvain had started giving Byleth less grief from what he could tell, though. It would have to be enough for him. They mostly steered clear of each other in anything other than class and training, and it still confused Felix as to why they couldn’t just be friends. Dimitri and Ingrid had taken to her so quickly without even having a history with her.

Thinking of Byleth added to the stress he was already feeling as he raised his arms above his head to stretch out his upper body. It had been practically impossible to have any time alone with her over the last month. With every passing week, she became more and more popular among the students of the Officers Academy. Every time he saw Byleth, there was always someone with her asking for help or wanting to train with her. It wasn’t just the members of their class anymore, either. Members of the other houses had taken to following her around, as well. They swarmed her in the dining hall, tried to spar in the training hall, and flitted in and out of her room that also acted as her office. Felix hadn’t even managed to have a meal alone with her yet, let alone an actual conversation that wasn’t about training or a mission.

Felix was stirred from his thoughts by the sound of someone lightly walking through camp. He lifted the tent’s flap slightly to check who it was and found Byleth, still in a baggy shirt and small shorts she must have slept in, sitting near the embers of last night’s fire. As quietly as possible he crawled out to join her. She turned to greet him and froze with her lips parted. Felix stilled, “What is it?”

She reached out a hand and then seeming to realize what she was doing, dropped it back to her side. “I’ve never seen your hair down before. It looks nice like that.” 

He could feel his cheeks warming and he was feeling more and more uncomfortable, so naturally he did the only thing he could think of, he made a snide comment. He crossed his arms and scoffed. “It gets in the way when I train. I think I might get rid of it.”

Byleth stood and walked toward him, still staring at him with those big purpleish blue eyes that seemed to stare straight through him. She reached out her hand and gently tucked a strand behind his ear watching her fingers travel through the raven hair. She was so close. He felt the urge to reach out and let his arms encircle her waist but he didn’t. _She’s your professor now, fool. That and she doesn’t think of you that way._ She fingered some of the strands that hung past his shoulders and stared at it. “My father used to tease me when we were young…” he raised a brow in confusion and waited for her to continue. She froze again and backed away. “Never mind. Are you hungry? I can get breakfast started?” She walked back to her seat and ruffled through the bags of food they had brought for the mission. 

Felix let out a deep exhale and went and sat beside her. “We can wait until more people wake up… maybe we could sit and talk awhile? I feel like I haven’t had a chance to do anything but train with you because of all the people that want your attention.”

She turned back and stared with her eyebrows furrowed, her lips curled downward into a slight frown. “Really? ...I’m sorry.”

He shook his head, feeling embarrassed about how needy that sounded. “It’s not your fault. You’re an incredibly skilled teacher, the other students would be crazy not to seek you out.” The corner of her lips twitched upward slightly, and her eyes began to crinkle. It’s the closest to a smile he’d ever seen from her. He scoffed and crossed his arms. “What? Are you doubting yourself?”

She shrugged and looked away. “I’m not exactly qualified for a position where I teach a bunch of nobles' children that are basically my age. In fact, I’m pretty sure Mercedes is older than me. Seteth openly distrusts me, not that I blame him. I’m a common-borne mercenary with a laughable lack of knowledge about the church… I could go on?”

He chuckled and uncrossed his arms, sitting forward to rest his elbows on his knees and stare while she restarted the fire. “That’s all nonsense. Don’t pay attention to it. You got Sylvain, the ultimate slacker, to pass his soldier certification first try. Who else could have done that?” She huffed out something close to a laugh and he found himself watching her hair hang down as she crouched near the newly birthed flames.

She turned to look at him and rested a hand on his forearm. “Thank you, Felix.”

Others began to stumble out of their tents, rubbing sleep from their eyes. They worked together to get food prepared for everyone. As everyone sat down and started eating, Byleth stood and walked over to Dimitri. “How is your side doing? Maybe Mercedes can give you one more round of healing and I can change your dressings before we head out?”

Dimitri began to shake his head in refusal but Mercedes piped up from the other side of the fire. “That’s a great idea, Professor! It would do you a lot of good, Your Highness, especially because we have a half days ride back to the monastery.” Dimitri looked between them, and seemingly knowing he couldn’t win against them, nodded his head in agreement. 

  
After they finished eating Felix watched as the three of them walked into Dimitri’s tent. Sylvain snickered into his food and Felix shot him a glare. After a couple moments they heard the sound of Mercedes laughter as she exited the tent. “Poor Dimitri…” Annette just laughed and moved over so they could sit together. Sylvain snickered again and Felix turned to him. “What’s so funny?”

Sylvain looked him over and folded his arms behind his head. “It’s nothing, Fe. Don’t worry about it. How are you feeling this morning? I’m super sore.” He reached his arms up to stretch and then stood and walked back to their shared tent.

Byleth walked out a moment later and clapped in her usual way to get the groups’ attention. “Alright! As soon as everyone is done with their food we will pack up and head back to the monastery.”

The ride back to the monastery was only slightly livelier than when they had left. On the way to Zanado everyone had been so nervous about the upcoming mission, no one was talkative. Not even Sylvain was cracking jokes. Today was slightly better, though the expressions on everyone's faces were still grave. The boar was chattering away with Byleth at the front of the group, Mercedes and Annette were talking about something they wanted to bake when they got back, Ashe and Dedue were talking about some sort of flower, and Sylvain and Felix were taking up the rear. Felix was staring at Dimitri and Byleth as they rode in the front, Dimitri was laughing and gesturing as Byleth looked on.

Sylvain chuckled off to his left and Felix turned his head. “What are you laughing at?”

Sylvain’s smile only grew as Felix glared at him. “I’m laughing at you, Fe. You’re glaring holes into the back of His Highness’ head. It’s borderline treason.”

Felix huffed and gripped the reins of his horse harder until the horse let out a whinny of protest. He had to take a deep breath to try to relax. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Sylvain made a humming noise in the back of his throat and Felix found the nerve to look at him. His face was sympathetic as he looked Felix over. “I know the professor spends a lot of time with His Highness, but that’s just because he’s house leader. If you want to spend time with her, you should just ask. She is your friend.” Sylvain shrugged and looked forward, his eyes taking on that emptiness that had become so common. 

Suddenly Sylvain felt so far away, and something in Felix’s chest tightened. He felt that sudden fear like when they were kids. Before he knew what he was saying he blurted out, “What if the three of us had dinner together tonight?” Sylvain looked over at him and had a genuine look of surprise on his face. Felix pushed it further. “She could be your friend, too.”

Sylvain chuckled and leaned down to pet the neck of the horse he was riding. “I don’t know, I was going to go out with this guy I met the other day…” Felix scoffed and turned his head away. _Fine. Be that way._ Sylvain groaned and cleared his throat. “I’ll tell him we can go out another night. If you ask the professor, the three of us can have dinner together. I’d love that.” Felix must have looked as surprised as he felt because Sylvain chuckled before sitting tall on his horse. “I’ve missed you, Fe.”

Felix grumbled under his breath for a minute before finally saying, “Shut up, Syl.” _I’ve missed you, too._

When they got back to the monastery everyone was quick to disperse to different activities. Felix looked around to try and find the familiar blue head of hair but couldn’t find her. He walked from the stables toward the marketplace and finally spotted her with Dimitri about to round the corner to the Reception Hall. He jogged a bit to catch up, but hung back when he saw them talking to Edelgard.

Dimitri’s voice had its usual formal tone when he spoke to her. “Does the Black Eagle house have a mission to see to? Remember… on a real battlefield, one can never dismiss the possibility of the worst case scenerio. I almost fell yesterday. Take care, Edelgard.”

Felix rolled his eyes, and Edelgard looked like she wanted to do the same thing. Her tone was biting as she replied, “There’s no need to state the obvious. I would never be so foolish. But tell me…” she tilted her head and gave him a piercing look “...why the concern? Perhaps you doubt my abilities? If so, your lack of insight is disappointing.”

Dimitri looked sheepish as he waved his hands in front of himself like an idiot. “That’s… not what I meant. If I’ve offended you, I hope you’ll accept my apology.”

Edelgard still had a calculating look as she looked him over and then turned to Byleth. “It’s nice to see you, Professor. Let’s catch up when I return, for now I must be off.” Byleth nodded politely and did the same awkward bow she used to do for his father. Felix chuckled under his breath. _At least that hasn’t changed._

After Edelgard was out of hearing range, Byleth turned to Dimitri and tilted her head. “Puppy love?” It was dreadfully close to outright teasing the boar and Felix had to bite his lip to hold in a laugh at how red the prince’s face got.

Dimitri chuckled nervously and shook his head. “Hahaha! Now that’s a lark, Professor.” His eyes softened and he put a hand on her upper arm with a sense of familiarity that Felix didn’t like. Felix stomach twisted a bit as he watched Dimitri look at Byleth. Dimitri’s voice was low as he said, “I’ll tell you all about it… some other time.”

Byleth nodded and put her hand on top of his on her arm. “Would you like me to walk you to the infirmary?” Dimitri shook his head with a chuckle before looking over at Felix. “No, I’ll be alright. It looks like Felix needs you for something anyway. Have a good rest of your day, Professor!” With a small bow he turned and left.

Felix stepped forward as Byleth turned toward him. Her lip twitched a bit as soon as she saw him and the twist in his stomach eased at the sight of it. “Hey Byl…” he paused and considered something “…wait. Can I still call you by your name, or do I have to call you Professor like everyone else?”

Byleth tilted her head to her fist and looked up at him, her eyes crinkled in a way that looked almost playful when she answered. “I don’t see why you can’t when we are alone. Probably not around the other students, though. Seteth already gets on me enough for my “lack of propriety” around my students.” She rolled her eyes and Felix bit his lip to keep from smiling.

“In that case…” he gave an exaggerated look around “Would you like to have dinner with Sylvain and I... Byleth?” He made sure to enunciate her name. Her eyes widened a bit at Sylvain’s name, but it was gone in a flash.

She nodded and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I need to get cleaned up and report to Rhea first. Can I meet the two of you in the dining hall in about two hours?” Felix smirked and nodded. “Sounds like a plan, I’ll let Sylvain know.”

A little over two hours later Felix and Sylvain stood outside the dining hall waiting for Byleth. “Dude, do you think she’s still coming?” Sylvain propped himself up against the wall, the picture of effortlessness.

Felix was starting to fidget, because he really didn’t know how this dinner was going to go and Byleth was late. “She said that she had to report to the Archbishop, maybe she got held up with her?” It’s the only excuse he could think to give.

Sylvain seemed to notice how nervous he was because he draped an arm around his shoulder and leaned into him. “Hey! I’m sure the professor is on her way. She’s a busy lady, I’m sure someone just pulled her aside really quick.”

At that moment Byleth ran around the corner, actually running, and came to a halt a few feet in front of them. “I’m sorry guys. Rhea was especially long winded today, and I ran into Jeralt and had to talk to him for a minute.”

Felix felt himself soften as soon as he saw her and Sylvain squeezed him in an awkward side-hug before dropping his arm. “Is everything okay?”

Byleth nodded and shuffled her feet. “Yeah, I’m starving! Let’s get dinner. Sorry again for being late.”

Sylvain opened the door and gave an exaggerated bow to usher them in. “After you, beautiful!” Felix scoffed and walked in behind Byleth. 

They stood in the line to grab their food and looked around the packed dining hall. Sylvain groaned and peeked out the open door that lead to the fishing pond. “It’s packed in here. It’s a nice enough night, what if we eat by the fishing pond?” Byleth perked up a bit at that so Felix nodded and lead the way.

After they sat down on the grass they were all quiet as they ate. Byleth stared into the pond on Felix’s left and Sylvain was staring up at the sky on his right. Felix cleared his throat and they both looked at him. “So… what were you talking to Jeralt about? Is everything okay?”

Byleth’s face softened and her eyes crinkled. “Yes. Dimitri was talking about how he wanted to see us fight side by side, but Jeralt always has separate missions so I don’t think that will happen. I thought it might raise everyone’s spirits if we had a spar so…”

Felix started vibrating with excitement. “Wait?! We get to watch you spar?”

Sylvain chuckled and threw an arm across his shoulder and leaned over him toward Byleth. “Normally I would tease Fe for being so excited, but I’m actually excited myself. The Blade Breaker was kind of our hero growing up.” Byleth looked between the two of them and her lip twitched up. 

“I’m glad to hear it! I told Dimitri that he could invite anybody he wanted to, the same goes for you two. It’s going to be tomorrow just before lunch in the training hall. I’d like to see you there. Jeralt will use his lance as usual. You would probably benefit from watching his skills, Sylvain.”

Sylvain laughed and leaned into Felix even more to get closer to her. “Ah! Professor! I’m honored. What about Fe? He wants to watch you fight, too! Don’t leave him out!” Sylvain winked at him and Felix could feel his cheeks warm, though whether it was from the close proximity to Byleth and Sylvain or the dig he couldn’t tell.

He shrugged Sylvain’s arm off his shoulders and crossed his arms over his chest. “Whatever Sylvain. You need it more than I do, and she knows it.” Sylvain pouted at him and clutched a hand to his chest in mock hurt. “Oh come on, Fe. You wound me!” Byleth snorted and both of them turned toward her in surprise.

She looked up from her food and smirked at them. “It’ll be fun for everybody. It’s been too long since I’ve gotten to train with him.” Her shoulders dropped a bit before she sat up straight again. “Well! I’m exhausted and I still have essays to grade. I’ll see you two tomorrow?” She stood and they both nodded and said their goodbyes.

Felix smiled after her and Sylvain chuckled. “That’s going to be a great fight, Fe. I actually can’t wait.”

The next day Felix tried to show up early to the highly anticipated spar and found the training hall already decently full. People sat in small group murmuring to themselves and there was a palpable excitement in the air. Felix looked around and soon saw Dimitri and Sylvain sitting in the front row off to his right so he went to join them. They didn’t even acknowledge him when he walked up, they were too busy gawking at the professor standing with a blonde woman with her hair tied back in a ponytail and a woman with short navy-colored hair and deep purple eyes.

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “You guys should probably shut your mouths before you drool all over the floor.” He sat down beside Sylvain and they both turned to look at him. Sylvain had his usual smirk, but Dimitri was bright red and stammering trying to find a response.

Sylvain laughed at the prince and clapped him on the back. “Can you blame us? Look at those beauties! I dig older women, especially those three! They are HOT!”

Dimitri glared at Sylvain before turning to Felix. “They are very skilled, Felix! That is Catherine of the Knights of Seiros, she wields Thunderbrand! And beside her is Shamir, she works with the knights. Her skills as a sniper are unparalleled here at the monastery.” His gaze looked downright dreamy and Felix tried not to gag. Dimitri chuckled and then continued. “Catherine was my boyhood crush. I used to love watching her in the tournaments the Kingdom used to hold before…” His eyes became dark and Felix tensed. _Before King Lambert and Glenn died._ Felix scowled and tried not to think about how excited he used to be when he would watch Glenn fight in those tournaments.

There was a chuckle behind them and all three of them turned to see Claude von Riegan sitting down just behind them. “So THAT’S your type, Your Princeliness! Older women that could wipe the floor with you with ease. Good to know.”

Sylvain laughed hard and smacked the boar on the back while he choked. Felix huffed and turned toward the door and saw Jeralt walk in. “What do you want, Claude?”

Claude chuckled behind him and sat forward to whisper to them. “Isn’t it obvious? I want to watch Teach fight! Not everyone is fortunate enough to go on missions with her. Frankly I’m jealous.”

Sylvain chuckled and turned slightly to put a hand on Claude’s knee. “It’s a hard life, your Royalness!” Claude looked down at the hand on his knee and winked at Sylvain.

Felix groaned and scooted further away. “Shut up. It looks like they are getting ready to start.”

  
The entire room went quiet as Jeralt and Byleth walked over to choose their weapons. Jeralt grabbed a training lance and Byleth grabbed a training sword. They stepped into the center ring and began to circle one another. Jeralt chuckled as they eyed each other. “I gotta warn you, Kid. I’m not going to go easy on you just so you can impress the brats.” Catherine laughed on the other side of the hall and Shamir elbowed her. Byleth’s eyes never left Jeralt, the only response she gave was a tiny shrug.

They circled for a long time and the air turned from excited to tense as everyone waited to see what would happen. Suddenly Byleth darted forward for the first strike. She was a blur as she got in a couple strikes that Jeralt easily blocked with his lance. Felix didn’t notice he was holding his breath until he started to get light headed. He was trying to watch her every move, but he got distracted watching how her body moved. She was fast and graceful, every step she made was like a dance with her blade. The muscles in her shoulders coiled with each strike and Felix took a moment to realize how strong she was. Strong shoulders and biceps worked hard with each thrust of her blade, defined abs twisted and stretched with each lunge, and powerful legs helped her charge or dodge depending on what Jeralt was doing. Jeralt and Byleth were entrancing to watch, it was obvious they had trained together for a long time.

Sylvain gasped beside him. “So that’s what it looks like when legends fight…” he whispered under his breath. All of them nodded in agreement and Claude let out a breathy chuckle.

Jeralt was sweeping his lance, trying to create some space between he and Byleth, but she was too fast. Jeralt let out a panting laugh as she tried to slash at his side. He had the longer weapon, and with the longer reach she was at a disadvantage. “You are getting rusty kid. Are the brats really slowing you down that much?”

Byleth’s eyes shone with intent, and Felix smiled. _He’s going to regret that._ The sound of wood smacking wood came faster and faster as Byleth's eyes narrowed. The occasional awed gasp could be heard in the stone building. Byleth let out a cry as she brought her blade down hard on the training lance. The walls rung with the sound of wood cracking and the lance snapped just as her sword splintered. Felix’s jaw dropped in awe, and at a glance everyone else looked similar. _She’s strong enough to snap a training lance? I thought only the boar managed that._

Jeralt let out a loud laugh and threw the pieces of his lance down before ruffling Byleth’s hair. “There you are, Kid.” She playfully batted his hand away, but she seemed pleased at his reaction.

Claude whistled behind them and chuckled. “They were magnificent. One of us must have been born under a lucky star, Your Princeliness. I still can’t believe they just happened to be in Remire that night.” The boar nodded his head still staring in awe at Byleth as she walked back over toward Catherine and Shamir with her father in tow.

Sylvain shook his head and Felix glanced over at him. His brows were furrowed and he looked more serious than Felix had seen him in a long time as he said, “She has a habit of being there right when you need her... always has.”

Claude gave him a curious look before throwing his arms behind his head. “Oh yeah? That sounds like you’ve got a story to tell.”

Sylvain let out a dark chuckle before standing and wiping his pants off. “Maybe some other time. Right now, I’m going to go get some food. You want to join me, gorgeous?” He winked at Claude and Claude let out a laugh.

“I’ve got plans to eat with Hilda, but maybe some other time.” Sylvain was already walking to the door before he even finished his sentence.

If Claude cared he didn’t show it. He stood and clapped his hands onto Dimitri’s shoulders. Dimitri jumped at the contact, he had been too busy gawking to listen to their conversation. He turned and blushed as Claude laughed. “I’ll see you guys around. Tell Teach I say hi, will ya?” He winked and walked away.

Dimitri turned back toward Byleth and continued to watch her interactions with Jeralt and the other knights that had surrounded them. “She really is phenomenal, isn’t she?” His voice was breathy as he spoke. Normally Felix would argue with the boar, but this is actually something they agreed on.

He shrugged and crossed his arms. “She always has been.”

Dimitri chuckled and turned toward him. “I wish I could have met her back then. I'm quite jealous you and Sylvain had her all to yourselves all those years ago.” His eyes were wistful for a moment, but then went dark as he glanced at her again. “Glenn would have loved her.”

Felix bristled and had to stop himself from letting out a growl. “Don’t talk about him, boar!” He spat out. “He’s dead. He’ll never get to meet her.” Felix stomped away before he could reply.

As he walked toward the dining hall his mind swam with images of Glenn and Byleth smiling as they sparred. He wondered who would have won. He wondered what Glenn would have thought of her if he had had the chance to meet her. _The boar is right. He would have loved her. She probably would have loved him too..._ Felix grit his teeth as a shiver went down his spine. _Am I seriously comparing myself to a ghost?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Byleth is still in the dark about how much the Tragedy of Duscur affected her friends and students. It'll come up soon enough. Also we missed out on Claude and Sylvain supports.. the potential for hilarity and hostility makes me mourn the loss.


	15. Chapter 15

~Byleth~

It was the first day of the Garland Moon and the first free day since their mission in Zanado. It was a sunny day out for the first time in a while. Byleth rose early and dressed in her casual attire, her black crop top with some riding pants and her long grey coat, and walked out to greet the day. She wandered to the dining hall and was greeted by Mercedes and Annette, who immediately demanded that she sit and have breakfast with them. The two were thick as thieves, and Byleth fought a twinge of envy at their closeness. They had been kind to her since she had arrived, but had only recently started to include her in things that didn’t involve school work. Mercedes was like an older sister to all of her students. She was kind and gentle, always looking out for her other students physical and emotional well-being. Annette had to be one of the most hardworking people she knew, including herself. She tended to be a bit ditzy at times, but she was a great mage and had a lot of potential.

They immediately started chatting with her about the Garland Moon. Byleth had not had a standard childhood, moving from place to place, so she had never learned of the tradition of people weaving white rose garlands for friends and potential lovers. “Oh! It’s so fun, Professor” Mercedes sighed “… you must join us this afternoon.”

Annette giggled and pointed toward the door. “Oh look! It looks like people have already started handing out garlands." Byleth turned in her chair to find Sylvain standing in the doorway, his head and neck had several garlands hanging around them.

He walked up and got his food and after spotting them, and then came and sat beside Byleth. “Good morning, beautiful ladies of the Blue Lion house! How are you guys doing this fine day?” Mercedes giggled while Annette playfully rolled her eyes. Byleth turned and began examining one of the garlands around Sylvain’s neck, they were quite beautiful with the white roses braided together. 

Sylvain leaned closer when he noticed her looking and winked at her. “I’ve already been blessed with a few garlands. Are you going to be making any, Professor?”

Byleth nodded and inclined her head toward the girls across from her. “Mercedes and Annette just invited me to join them this afternoon. You must have a lot of “special friends” if you already have this many garlands, Sylvain.” She smirked and crossed her arms.

His eyebrows flew to his hairline at the teasing tone, then he looked over to Mercedes and Annette. “What exactly have you been telling the Professor?”

The girls giggled before Annette answered in a sing song tone, “It’s not our fault you have so many “special friends”, Sylvain!”

Sylvain laughed and glanced back at Byleth. “Yes, Professor. I have a lot of “special friends”…” his sentence trailed off as he stared at the door. Dimitri had just walked in, his face was bright red and around his head and neck hung several garlands. He put his head down and rushed over to sit on Byleth’s other side. “… but obviously not as many special friends as His Highness! Nice!” Dimitri’s ears were pink when he slammed his head down on the table. He grumbled something but Byleth couldn’t make out what it was.

Mercedes leaned over and affectionately rubbed his shoulder from across the table. “It’s alright, Dimitri. He’s only teasing.” She shot a look at Sylvain, who only winked at her. Just then a girl in the Officers Academy uniform came over and tapped Dimitri on the shoulder. Dimitri’s head rose slowly from between his arms and he turned to face the girl. Byleth noted how the girl giggled lightly as she spoke in a sweet tone, offering Dimitri the garland.

He took it, and in the same formal tone he had used with Byleth the first day, thanked her for it. The girl left and Dimitri put his head back on the table with his face toward Byleth. “I want this moon to be over already.”

Byleth moved a piece of hair away from his forehead and touched one of the garlands on his head. “These are quite beautiful, Dimitri! How long have you known that girl?”

Dimitri shook his head, his cheeks still a rosy pink. “I don’t know her, Professor. Unfortunately, I tend to get a lot of attention this time of year due to my…” he paused and wrinkled his brow “… position.”

Byleth crinkled her brow. “What does people flirting with you have to do with your position? I just figured they liked you. Isn't that a good thing? To have people desire you?”

Dimitri made a face like he had licked something sour and shook his head. “No Professor, a lot of people want to be close to me due to my position. They don’t actually want me.” Byleth nodded, finally starting to understand.

 _It must be hard to be in a position of power and not know who actually wants to be around you for you or who is just using you for your title. I’m glad I don’t have to deal with any of that._ Byleth laid her hand on Dimitri’s arm and looked into his eyes. “Not all girls will feel that way, Dimitri. You are a handsome and kind young man, you'll find someone someday.” she paused and a smirked spread across her lips "And if anyone treats you poorly they will have to deal with me."

Mercedes giggled warmly across from her. “She’s right Dimitri! All of us are your friends, we'll all look out for you.”

Dimitri sat up and turned to Byleth, his eyes glistened and he had a sweet and genuine smile on his lips. “Thank you, Professor… Mercedes, you have no idea how much that means to me.”

Sylvain chuckled bitterly as Byleth turned back to her food. “Yeah, Your Highness, all the other girls may use you for your position, but at least you’ve got the professor to have your back.” 

He took a few more bites of his food before his head whipped toward Byleth. “Speaking of… Professor!” He sing-songed her name in a way that meant trouble, “Who are you going to make a garland for?”

Byleth shrugged as she took a bite of her eggs. After she chewed and swallowed, she turned back toward Sylvain. “I’m not sure I’ll be any good at it, I’ll probably just practice and chat with Mercedes and Annette. I’m just happy to be included.”

Sylvain rolled his eyes as his same fake grin spread across his face. “Oh Professor, that’s no fun! There are so many people who would absolutely love a garland from the most beautiful professor to ever walk these halls.” He gave an exaggerated wink. “I know I would love one. Or there’s Felix, Claude, or His Highness over there!”

Byleth turned back toward Dimitri who had buried his head in his arms on the table again. “I can try to make each of you one if you would like it? I would like each of you to be my friend. I didn’t think you would want one from your professor, though.” She shrugged and glanced over when Dimitri grumbled something into his arms. Mercedes, Annette, and Sylvain all laughed.

Byleth stood with her tray and looked across at Mercedes and Annette. “I have some gardening I want to work on, and then I promised to do some fishing for the cooks. I’ll meet you in the courtyard in a couple hours. Do you need me to bring anything?”

Annette shook her head and turned to Mercedes. “Oo! Mercie! We should bake some sweets that we can snack on while we work!”

Byleth felt her lip twitch up at the thought of Mercedes baked sweets. Mercedes must have seen because she had a bright smile on her face. “Yes! That’s a great idea Annie! We better get started if we want to have enough time to get everything together. We’ll see you later!” They all walked off to their separate destinations.

Byleth walked in to the greenhouse to do her gardening for the week when she spotted Ashe weeding the flowers. He turned and greeted her before going back to his work. She stood and watched him work for a while, taking time to admire the flowers. After a couple silent minutes, Ashe wiped off his hands and approached her. “Are you here to do some gardening?”

Byleth nodded and showed him the flower seeds she had purchased at the market. “I brought these in, but I’m still learning. Do you think you could help me?”

Ashe gave her a bright smile and nodded. “I would love to help, Professor! You’ve already done so much for us, it’ll be fun to return the favor. Ashe immediately started chattering to her about all of the different types of plants in the greenhouse. His eyes lit up and he gestured with his hands frequently in a way that made Byleth’s lip twitch. Ashe was normally so nervous and hesitant around her, it was fun to see him passionate about something.

Ashe seemed to notice he had been talking awhile and stopped. With a blush dusting his freckled cheeks he said, “I’m sorry. I’ve been talking your ear off, haven’t I?”

Byleth shook her head slowly. “You seem to know a lot about this stuff.”

Ashe chuckled and walked toward an open patch of soil. “Lord Lonato, my adoptive father, is the real expert. He taught me a lot of what he knows.” The smile on his face was fond as he dug through the soil. He turned a curious glance to her. “What started your interest with the greenhouse, Professor? I wouldn’t take you for someone who liked gardening… n-no offense of c-course.” He blushed again and Byleth tried not to smirk.

“I’m not. We moved around all the time, so there was never any chance to tend to plants…” she paused and started digging little holes like Ashe had showed her “… but one of the only things my father has ever told me about my mother is that she loved flowers. I thought it might be nice to learn.” Her tone was soft as she said it, she was almost surprised it was her voice at all.

Ashe looked surprised as he turned to face her, his eyes became soft and he smiled gently as he said, “That’s a great reason to learn, Professor! I’ll teach you everything I know, I promise.” Byleth nodded and turned back to the soil to place the seeds like Ashe was beside her. Her chest felt light and her lip kept twitching in a way she knew meant she was happy. It had been happening so much more since coming to the monastery and spending time with her Lions. It felt nice, like when she and Felix were little and they spent that month together. 

  
After they were finished Byleth said goodbye and headed to the docks. As she was walking up, she saw a girl with bright green hair standing at the edge of the pier watching the fish swim around. She wore the Officers Academy uniform, but Byleth couldn’t remember ever seeing her before. The girl quickly turned at her approach and smiled brightly at her. “Hello! You are the new professor. Correct?” Byleth nodded as she cast her line. The girl started clapping and stood closer to watch her. “My name is Flayn, I’m Seteth’s little sister.”

Byleth watched her line as she spoke. “It’s nice to meet you. Are you a student at the Academy? I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”

Flayn sighed deeply and sat down on the edge of the pier. “No, I’m not a student. My brother tends to be a bit too… overprotective. He won’t allow it.” Byleth felt a tug on her line and pulled it out of the water. There was a white trout dangling from the hook, she quickly took it off and set it in a bucket until she could take it to the kitchen. Flayn gasped at her side. “The cooks in the kitchen told me you were very good at fishing and you often help them have enough for meals. I can see not, that it is true!” She giggled brightly and Byleth couldn’t help the twitch at the corner of her mouth in response.

Flayn was quiet as she baited her hook and then cast her line again. Eventually Flayn straightened her shoulders and looked toward Byleth. “Professor, I have a bit of a request.” Byleth turned toward her and nodded to show she was listening. “I have had a craving for a dish my mother used to prepare, but I need a caledonian gar in order to have it made. If you catch one, would you allow me to take it to the kitchen? I know my brother and I would both really appreciate it.” Byleth nodded and Flayn clapped her hands and kicked her legs off the end of the pier.

Flayn sat with her for another half hour, talking about gossip from all over the monastery. Byleth was surprised by how much she knew, even if she wasn’t a student. Byleth pulled in a couple more fish, but hadn’t caught the one Flayn wanted yet. 

Finally she got another nibble, and when she reeled it in it was a good sized caledonian gar just like Flayn wanted. Flayn was overjoyed, squealing and jumping around thanking her profusely. Byleth’s chest felt warm as she grabbed a second bucket and placed the fish inside. “I think I’m done fishing for the day. How about I carry it up to the kitchen for you?” Flayn gave her a big smile and nodded before they started walking toward the dining hall. As they entered, they were greeted by a very cross looking Seteth. 

“Flayn! There you are! I couldn’t find you, we were supposed to meet for lunch fifteen minutes ago.”

Flayn smiled and grabbed her brother’s arm. “Brother! The new professor was kind enough to catch the fish for my favorite dish mother used to make! I was going to ask the cooks to prepare it for dinner. I got distracted watching her…” She paused with a gleam in her eye and sighed “…she’s just as good as mother was.”

Seteth was giving Byleth the same stern glare but he turned to Flayn and gave her a soft smile as she spoke. He turned back to Byleth and very curtly said, “Thank you for helping Flayn, Professor. You have my gratitude. Now if you’ll excuse us, we must be off.” Flayn gave her a cheery wave as they walked away. She spoke with the cooks and then walked to the courtyard to look for Annette and Mercedes.

She found them sitting with a huge pile of white roses sitting in the grass. There was a plate of cookies nearby and they were happily nibbling as Annette hummed. When she approached, they both became excited and showed her how to weave the garlands. She found she was actually rather good at it, if a bit slow. Annette giggled in delight when Byleth finished her first one. “Oh Professor! It looks beautiful! I must admit, I didn’t expect you to be so good at this.”

Mercedes bumped her with her shoulder and giggled. “Oh, Annie! You did very well, Professor. Annie and I were thinking we could make enough for the class and then deliver them together. How does that sound?” They already had five made between the three of them so Byleth eagerly nodded. They each made one more before cleaning up where they had been working. 

  
They linked arms and started walking around the monastery grounds, looking for their classmates. They walked to the Knight’s Hall and found Dimitri and Dedue there, doing more training. Dimitri had a growing pile that had been placed on the ground, but when Byleth gave him one, he rested it on his head like a crown and smiled brightly.

Dedue had not received any, and tried to refuse when Byleth walked up to him to present it. “You should not be seen giving a garland to a man of Duscur, Professor. People will think less of you.”

Byleth grabbed his arm and pulled it sharply to get him to bend down before placing the garland on his head. “Dedue, you are one of my lions. Don’t pay them any mind.” A small nervous smile crept on his face as he stood again.

Dimitri gave an incredulous laugh when he saw it. “The miracles you perform never cease, Professor.”

Byleth bowed to both of them and in her best professor voice said, “Don’t train too much, you two. I need you rested for next weeks training.” She turned and walked back to a giggling Annette and Mercedes.

  
When they stepped out of the knight’s hall, they walked across the pathway into the reception hall. Sylvain was standing there talking to a girl with short brown hair and brown eyes. Byleth gave the garland to Mercedes and nodded toward him. Mercedes furrowed her brow a bit and tilted her head. “Are you sure you don’t want to give it to him, Professor? I think he would appreciate it.” Byleth shook her head and nodded toward him again. Mercedes sighed and took the garland over to Sylvain.

When she tapped his shoulder, he turned around and gave her his usual smile. “Oh! A garland from the lovely Mercedes! I’m a lucky man!” He took it and placed it on his head, adding it to the huge pile.

Mercedes giggled and gestured toward Byleth and Annette standing behind her. “The three of us worked together to make one for each of the Blue Lions. We hope you like it!” Sylvain furrowed his brow for a bit before leaning over and whispering in Mercedes ear. The girl with the brown hair scoffed and walked away, but Sylvain didn’t really seem to mind. When he was done whispering, he stood and winked at Mercedes. Mercedes nodded and giggled before walking back to them. “Alright! Let’s see if we can find Ashe and Ingrid, shall we?” 

Annette jumped up and down and laughed. “Oh this is so much fun! I bet we could find them in the library?” Mercedes and Byleth agreed and walked up the stairs to the second floor. When they entered the library, Ashe and Ingrid were at a table huddled over a book. Annette waved her arm and ran over. “Hey guys! Look what we made!” Byleth walked over and placed a garland on Ingrid and Ashe’s heads. Ashe blushed and Ingrid sighed before smiling a bit.

Ashe was stammering as he thanked them. “Th-Thank you guys! I wasn’t expecting to get any garlands. My little sister always makes them for me, and I was just thinking about that earlier.”

Mercedes walked behind him and gave him a small hug from behind. “Of course, Ashe! What are you guys reading?” Ashe and Ingrid started gushing about the book of stories they were reading. Byleth enjoyed watching them talk about it, even if she wasn’t overly fond of the idea that all knights were chivalrous. She had met some bad ones in her time as a mercenary, but she knew Ashe and Ingrid had the potential to be great, even if it was in different ways. 

As they were leaving the library Mercedes looped her arm through Annette’s and leaned over to whisper to her. Afterwards Annette giggled and nodded. Mercedes cleared her throat and turned to Byleth. “Annie and I are going to head back to the dining hall for a little snack. Do you think you could deliver the last one to Felix on your own?” Byleth nodded and they sped away. As she was walking past her father’s office, she stopped to knock but no one answered.

_He must be on another mission. I feel like our spar was the first time I had seen him since we started working here._

Sothis stirred in the back of her mind. **“That is an interesting thought. I wonder if Rhea is sending him out so frequently on purpose.”**

Byleth thought about it as she walked toward the training grounds, where Felix would probably be. _“I don’t know. What would she stand to gain from that? He’s a great warrior, it may just be due to his skill.”_

Sothis sighed. **“I suppose you’re right. I just don’t trust her…”** She stopped talking for a long time as Byleth walked. Right as Byleth was about to walk into the Training Grounds she laughed. **“By the way. Was it really necessary for you to show off in such a way for the young ones? Breaking a lance and sword?”** Byleth felt her cheeks warm a little as she opened the doors. Sothis giggled as they entered the grounds, watching Byleth intently.

Felix was there training on a dummy when she arrived. He didn’t turn around as she entered, so she took a moment to watch his form. He was wearing a loose white shirt, with his usual dark pants from his uniform. His beautiful raven hair was falling out of the bun on the top of his head as he moved. 

Sothis floated in front of her, making her jump. **“Are you going to watch him all day, or are you going to give the boy your flowers?”**

Byleth felt her cheeks warm again. _"I’m watching his form. I am his professor, that’s not so unusual. Besides, I’ve given all my students a garland today."_

Sothis giggled and floated toward Felix. **“I don’t think it’s necessary to think one’s hair is beautiful while critiquing their swordsmanship. You feel differently around this one and the philanderer.”** Before Byleth could question what Sothis meant by that, Felix turned and noticed her. 

He looked around and checked to make sure there weren’t other people in the training grounds before walking over to her. “Hey Byleth. Did you come to spar? It’s been a moment since we fought last, I’ll do better this time.”

Byleth smirked a bit and crossed her arms. “I actually didn’t come for that, though we can if you would like.”

He raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Then why are you here?”

Byleth quickly looked down at the garland in her hand and Felix followed the motion. “I was looking for you, I wanted to give you this.” She took a few steps closer and placed it on his head before brushing some of his bangs out of his eyes. He just stared at her for a long time and didn’t say anything. She took a step back and looked off to the side. “It was my first time making them, Mercedes and Annette showed me how. I’m sorry if it’s not as good as some of the others people have.”

Felix narrowed his eyes a bit as he stared at her. The garland seemed a bit silly when he was sweaty, his shirt was askew from training, and a wooden sword was still clasped in his hand. She looked back up at his face and his eyes had softened just a bit.

The doors opened and the Almyran boy from her first day ran in. “Professor! I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Seteth and Rhea need to see you right away!” She turned to go, but Felix grabbed her arm. She turned back to him and he stepped a little closer so the boy wouldn’t hear him whisper, “Thank you, Byleth.” She nodded and walked out after the boy. 

He led her to the audience chamber where Rhea and Seteth stood waiting for her. Seteth had his arms crossed and his eyes followed her every move, but Rhea had a soft smile on her face. “Ah! Byleth, it’s good to see you again.” Byleth bowed slightly to each of them and then crossed her arms behind her back. Rhea smiled again and said, “Professor, I have a new mission for your students.”

Seteth stepped forward slightly and spoke next. “We have received reports that Lord Lonato has rallied troops against the Holy Church of Seiros.” Byleth felt the color drain from her face, her jaw tightened as she looked at them. _Please don’t tell me they are sending us to fight Ashe’s adoptive father._ Sothis appeared next to her and put a hand on her shoulder, though Byleth couldn’t feel it.

Her voice wavered slightly as she spoke, “Why would he do that?”

Rhea shook her head and her smile fell. “Lord Lonato is a minor lord of the Kingdom. He has been showing hostility toward the church for some time now. A vanguard unit for the Knight of Seiros is already on its way to his stronghold, Castle Gaspard. Lord Lonato’s army is nothing compared to the knights. It’s possible the rebellion has already been suppressed.” _Meaning Ashe’s father may already be dead or imprisoned._ Sothis was watching her warily off to the side. Rhea gave a soft smile as she continued. “Even so, I would like for your class to travel with the knight’s rear guard to deal with the aftermath.” 

Byleth bristled. “Lady Rhea, you are aware that Ashe is in my class, correct? This is his adoptive father… I don’t think it would be good idea for him to be there for that.”

Seteth looked slightly sympathetic, but Rhea’s eyes had a tint of ice when she spoke. “This mission should prove useful in demonstrating to the students how foolish it would be to ever turn their blades against the church.”

Byleth felt a chill down her spine. Sothis’ eyes were wide. **“She is threatening the young ones. She is sending them into a war to instill fear.”** Her voice was soft as she spoke but Byleth felt her chest burn as she clenched her fists. Something primal and protective reared in her chest. Seteth’s eyes widened ever so slightly as he glanced at Rhea.

The door opened behind Byleth. Catherine, the knight she had met the other day, walked in. Sothis vanished as she did. “You sent for me Lady Rhea?”

Rhea’s soft smile was back as she turned to Catherine. “This is Catherine. She is one of our greatest knights, and that is no small feat. She will be accompanying you on this mission.”

Catherine turned toward Byleth with a big grin, but Byleth could only manage a small nod. Catherine’s smile fell a little before she turned back to Rhea. “I’ve actually met the Professor already, Lady Rhea. I got to watch her spar with the Captain the other day. She’s quite the fighter.”

Lady Rhea’s smile grew as she looked between the two of them. “May the Goddess bless you on your mission.”

Byleth and Catherine both nodded before walking out the door. Catherine stopped her as she fled to the stairs. “Hey Byleth, are you alright?”

Byleth shook her head and clenched her fists. “I have to go and inform my student that we are being sent to fight his adoptive father. I’ve had better days.”

Catherine’s normal cheery smile dropped. She placed a hand on Byleth’s shoulder, but when Byleth flinched she dropped her hand. “If it makes you feel better, we are going to be the rear guard. Your students shouldn’t see any fighting.”

Byleth grit her teeth. “Right, they just get to see the bloody aftermath.”

Catherine bristled a bit and straightened her shoulders. “Lady Rhea wouldn’t send you if it wasn’t necessary.”

Byleth narrowed her eyes and stared until Catherine started shifting uncomfortably. “If you’ll excuse me… I need to find Ashe.”

  
As she walked, she considered what she was going to say to Ashe and wondered what she could do to help him. She was sure he was going to be devastated, and Byleth knew she wasn’t the best person to help him through that. She thought about his face as he mentioned his little sister, and how Mercedes immediately hugged him. She paused for a moment, and then redirected to the cathedral where Mercedes spent a lot of her time.

She walked in to the elegant building and paused for a moment to listen to the music spilling from the organ ringing through the massive stone building. She spotted Mercedes sitting at a pew toward the front and rushed toward her. Mercedes looked like she was praying, so Byleth sat a few feet away to wait for her. After a couple moments Mercedes turned to her with a soft smile. “Oh hello Professor. Did you come to pray to the goddess as well?”

Byleth shook her head and scooted closer so she could whisper. “Mercedes, I need your help.” Byleth felt a lump in her throat as she thought about how to explain the situation. Mercedes nodded kindly and waited for her to explain. “Lady Rhea just gave me our mission for the month. We are being sent to Castle Gaspard to quell a rebellion started by Lord Lonato.” Mercedes gasped and placed a hand over her mouth. “I want to be the first to tell Ashe before word gets out…” she paused and looked down at her hands “… but I fear I’m not the best at comforting. I was wondering if you would come with me? So he could have someone there with him?”

Mercedes stared into her eyes before giving her a soft smile. “Oh, Professor... I can help if you would like, but I do think you would be fine to comfort Ashe. He respects you.”

Byleth shook her head. “I’ve never comforted anyone before. I assume this will be… hard for him. I always see you helping the others when they are upset. I think he would feel better if you were there.”

Mercedes took her shaking hand and held it. “Of course, I’ll come with you. Let’s go find him.”

  
It was dinner time, so they ran toward the dining hall, hoping Ashe would be there. As she turned the final corner she rammed into Dimitri. He grabbed her arms so she wouldn’t fall, looking between her and a panting Mercedes behind her. “Are you alright, Professor?”

Byleth shook her head. “Do you know where Ashe is?” Dimitri nodded and tilted his head toward the dining hall. “Yes actually, he was just in there eating with Caspar from the Black Eagle House. Is something the matter?”

Byleth nodded and grabbed his forearm. “I need you to gather the rest of the Blue Lions and go to the classroom. I will come as soon as I can, we need to talk to Ashe first.” 

Dimitri’s eyes widened at the request but he nodded quickly and rushed off. She and Mercedes walked into the dining hall and immediately spotted Ashe and Caspar eating and laughing. She walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. When he turned, she leaned down and whispered, “I need to speak with you, will you join me in my office, please?” Ashe furrowed his brow, and Caspar looked between them confused. Ashe turned to him and said goodnight before following her and Mercedes to her office. 

When they entered her room, she shut the door and motioned for the two students to sit on the bed while she slid her desk chair closer. “Wh-What can I do for you, Professor? Is everything alright?”

Byleth shook her head and leaned over to take hold his hands. He blushed and looked at her with confusion. “Ashe…” she whispered “I’ve just been informed that Lord Lonato has rallied troops against the church.”

Ashe’s face paled and his eyes glistened with unshed tears. “What? He would never do such a thing! He’s a devote believer. This doesn’t make any sense!” He looked between her and Mercedes frantically, like they held the answers he was seeking.

Byleth stroked his hand with her thumbs, as Mercedes wrapped her arm around his shoulders. “The vanguard has already been sent to subdue them.” Ashe began to shake and tears spilled from his eyes. Byleth willed her voice not to crack as she said, “Our mission for this month is to serve as the rear guard. We’ve been asked to help in the aftermath.”

Ashe began to sob and Mercedes pulled him into her chest. He looped his arms around her waist and she rubbed his back as he cried. Byleth watched and the tightness in her chest became almost unbearable. “I’m so sorry, Ashe. If you wish to stay here, I will get you permission. I’ll do whatever you need me to.”

He lifted his head and turned to her so fast Mercedes startled a little bit. “No! I have to go. Maybe I can talk to him, maybe I can make him change his mind. Please! You have to help me, Professor!” 

She put her hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes. “Ashe. I need to be honest with you. His forces probably can’t last long against the Knights of Seiros. We may only be there for the aftermath, and I don’t know what that means for Lonato…”

Mercedes shook her head and put a hand over her mouth as Ashe’s lip trembled. “M-my siblings are there… at Castle Gaspard. I have to go. I have to try!” He doubled up and started sobbing into his lap. Mercedes stroked his hair and stared at Byleth with tears in her eyes. Byleth immediately felt terrible for asking her to help with this, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to help Ashe as much as Mercedes could. This wasn’t what she was good at. 

After several minutes he sat up and tried to dry his eyes. She wiped a tear from his cheek and took his hand again. “I will do everything in my power to help you, I swear it, Ashe.” Ashe nodded as more tears ran down his cheeks. “I’ll walk you to your room. Mercedes, will you stay with him until I can come back? I need to go speak with the rest of the class and then I’ll come back and check on you guys. Alright?”

Ashe and Mercedes nodded slowly and they all rose to walk the two doors down to his room. She shut the door behind her and ran to the classroom. When she walked in all of them turned to her in unison. Ingrid stood and asked, “Is everything alright, Professor?” Byleth shook her head and walked toward her desk before turning and leaning against it. She crossed her arms with a frown and looked into each of their faces.

“I’ve received our mission for this month…” everyone looked at her in confusion “…we have been ordered to march to Castle Gaspard to quell a rebellion against the church formed by Lord Lonato.” Annette gasped and sunk into her chair. Dimitri looked solemn as he shook his head and Dedue watched him with a furrow in his brow. Sylvain had an arm around Ingrid shoulders as she stared down at her hands, trying to comfort her. Felix’s expression was unreadable as he stared up at Byleth.

Finally Ingrid spoke up. “Where is Ashe? Does he know?” Byleth nodded and frowned. “I just told him, that’s why it took me a while to get here. He’s in his room resting, Mercedes is with him until I can leave here to go and check on him.”

Annette stood and looked around at her classmates. “We should all go and check on him.”

Byleth shook her head slowly. “He was…” She furrowed her brow and frowned again, Ashe’s broken sobs still ringing in her ears. “I can check and see if that would be alright, but he might need time.”

Sylvain nodded his head, catching her a bit off guard as he said, “That’s true. Can we sit in your office while you ask if it would be alright for us to visit?” All of the other students were nodding. Byleth nodded and they all walked over.

  
Byleth couldn’t hear Ashe through his door when she arrived. She knocked softly and he opened the door. His eyes were red and puffy, his skin still pale. She stepped inside and a tear slid down his cheek as he looked at her. Byleth opened her arms slightly, an invitation she had seen others do, and he immediately buried his face in her shoulder as he trembled. Mercedes gave her a soft smile over his shoulder, and Byleth noted how tired she looked. Byleth leaned her head down and whispered, “Are you willing to see people?” Ashe looked at her in confusion. “Your classmates are worried about you, they wanted to check on you, if that’s alright. If you want to wait that’s fine, too.” Ashe looked down at the floor for a while before nodding. He latched onto her hand as the three of them walked toward her room and the tightness in her chest hurt.

When she opened the door, her room was crowded with every one of the Blue Lions who immediately turned to greet them. She squeezed Ashe’s hand as he walked forward. He dropped her hand when Mercedes and Annette immediately pulled him in for a hug. Ingrid and Sylvain joined in soon after. Dimitri had that dark look in his eye again and Dedue was hovering by his side, obviously concerned. Felix shuffled over and stood beside her before brushing his fingers against her hand.

He leaned over and whispered, “Are you okay?”

Byleth shook her head and continued staring at the group of students trying to comfort a crying Ashe. “I haven’t…” she paused, pondering the foreign feeling in her chest “I haven’t felt this way in a long time.”

Sothis spoke in the back of her mind. **“It’s dread, dear one. You are afraid for the sweet boy.”**

Byleth placed her hand where her heart should beat. Her eyes glanced to Sylvain who was looking down at Ashe with genuine concern on his face. She turned to Felix and whispered, “I was hoping I would never feel this way again.”

Felix looked between Byleth and Sylvain and then over to Ashe. He frowned and nodded in understanding. Byleth looped her arm through Felix’s and placed her head on his shoulder. He stiffened for a moment before relaxing slightly. She started to withdraw, realizing he was uncomfortable with the contact, but he tightened the arm looped with hers and she relaxed again.

She let out a heavy sigh and he turned his head to look at her. “He’ll be okay, we’ll make sure of it.” Byleth didn’t believe him, but she nodded anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mercedes is best girl.


	16. Chapter 16

~Sylvain~

The fifth day of the Garland Moon was a complicated day for Sylvain. Birthdays were always a day of tension when Sylvain was growing up, for obvious reasons with Miklan around. Sylvain would often get to spend the day with his childhood friends. The five of them would play at the Gautier estate and Sylvian got to ask his parents for whatever he wanted, but the days were always tainted by worrying about when Miklan would lash out. Fe would make it a point to sneak into his room to avoid night visits from Miklan, so he had to get creative with his torture. But Miklan was nothing if not determined.

Things got a little better as he got older. Sylvain would ask to spend his birthday at Blaiddyd castle or with the Fraldarius family and his parents would send him with some of the knights. It wouldn’t keep him safe when he got home, but it made his birthday more special when he didn’t have to look over his shoulder all day. He liked having the opportunity to spend time with his friends.  
Even after Miklan had been exiled from Gautier lands, the day still had a melancholy that normally accompanied it. And then it all got worse after the Tragedy. Felix and Ingrid lost Glenn, and Dimitri lost everyone… and himself. Birthdays were the last thing on anyone’s minds. They had to grow up and move on.

But he wasn’t going to think about that today. He’s at the Officers Academy now! There’s no Miklan to watch out for, no parents breathing down his neck (even if they wrote about a potential marriage arrangement in his Goddess damned birthday letter), and all of his friends are here. Today, all he was going to think about was how he could get all of his childhood friends to go to dinner with him in town.

Dimitri was easy, he was almost as eager to have the group back together as Sylvain was. Even if he glanced off to the side every once and a while and had a pained expression on his face. Ingrid would go if he could get everyone else to agree, probably with the excuse of keeping them out of trouble. The real problem was going to be getting Felix to agree. Sylvain had made up with Ingrid and Dimitri already, neither of them could stay mad at him for long it seemed. And though Sylvain had had that semi-awkward dinner with Felix and the professor, things were still strained between them. At least Felix didn’t seem outright mad at him anymore… he had to take his wins where he could get them.

In the name of persuasion, Sylvain was dressed in his training clothes at the crack of dawn, heading to the training grounds. He was hoping to catch Felix there. He figured if he offered to train with him every day for the rest of the week, maybe he would go to dinner tonight. _Bribery works even on people as prickly as Felix, right?_

Sylvain let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. _Here goes nothing_. He opened the door to the training grounds and found that Felix was the only one there. That was unsurprising… _Who in the hells actually gets up this early anyway?!_ He shook his head and walked toward the rack with the training lances. “Hey Fe! How’s it going?”

Felix turned around so fast he almost dropped his training sword. “Sylvain?” His eyes were wide and his mouth was agape before he realized he was showing an emotion other than contempt and it turned into a scowl. “What are you doing here?” He immediately crossed his arms and looked defensive. _Maybe this is going to be harder than I thought…_

Sylvain smiled and crossed his arms behind his head. “I’m glad you asked, Fe! I came to ask a favor.”

Felix’s brow furrowed and he slowly uncrossed his arms. “A favor? What do you want?”

Sylvain chuckled before picking up his training lance and pretending to look it over. “I was hoping you would go to town for dinner with me tonight. Ingrid and His Highness are going with me as well.”

Felix still looked confused, but crossed his arms again. “Why would I do that?”

Sylvain froze, his heart squeezed a bit before he remembered he wasn’t supposed to care. “Why… for my birthday, of course!” He put on his best fake grin and tried to not look like he was devastated because his best friend didn’t remember his birthday.

Felix huffed and began hitting the training dummy again. “I know it’s your birthday, idiot. Why would I go to dinner with the boar though?”

Sylvain’s heart flew for a second before he tempered that too. “Thus, why I asked for a favor. A “birthday favor”, so to speak!” Felix huffed again but didn’t look back at him. Sylvain sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Would it help if I sweetened the deal?”

Felix stilled and turned to glare at him. “What are you talking about?”

Sylvain chuckled and threw his hands up defensively. “Nothing bad! I promise! I was going to say that I would train with you every morning before classes for the rest of the week if you’ll go. I just really want my best friend there, Fe.”

Felix turned all the way toward Sylvain and his face softened slightly. “You are bribing me to go to dinner for your birthday with extra training? You… doing extra training?” He shifted his weight to one side with a hand on his hip, he had a smirk on his face that made his eyes light up. Amused Felix was honestly Sylvain’s favorite, and it had been far too long since he had seen it.

Finally, air to breathe returned to his lungs and as nonchalantly as he could muster he said, “Bingo! Do we have a deal?” He dropped into a defensive stance with his lance up and stared at Felix.

Felix’s smirk got even bigger, let the record show that it was almost a full-blown smile, as he launched himself forward and started their spar. “Fine. Deal.” Was the only response he gave in between strikes. Sylvain had a genuine smile on his face for the rest of their training.

  
Sylvain and Felix went to the bath house together after training. As they were soaking, things began to get slightly awkward again. Sylvain took a shot in the dark. “Soooo… how are things going with the Professor? I saw you guys getting cozy that night we were all in the Professor’s room?” He winked and tried to block out the anxiety that came from remembering this month’s mission and Ashe’s face when he walked into the room that night, clutching the Professor’s hand like a lifeline.

Felix scoffed and turned away, but the red in the tips of his ears was telling. “It’s not anything like that. I’m not you Sylvain!” _Okay. Ouch. But fair._ Felix turned back toward him and his voice was soft as he said, “I had never seen her so…” he paused for a long time “… she looked so sad and stressed. I was worried about her, that’s all.” Sylvain felt a pang in his chest when he remembered her face watching them all fret over Ashe. She had certainly become a lot more expressive, or maybe they were all just better at reading her now. 

Sylvain sighed and ran a hand through his wet hair. “Yeah. That was rough… does it seem like she’s getting more…” he paused and considered whether he really wanted to talk about this “…expressive lately? I don’t remember ever seeing her frown before, or that small snort she let out the other day…” He let the sentence drag out and looked to Felix.

Felix sat back against the edge of the pool and looked toward the ceiling. “Yeah, I’ve noticed. I keep wondering what she would look like if she actually smiled…” he had a small grin on his face. He sat up quickly and began to step out of the bathing pool, wrapping a towel around himself. “We should probably go if we want to drop off our stuff and get to class on time.”

  
They walked back toward their dorms and were greeted by the sight of the Professor, standing outside Sylvain’s door raising her hand to knock. What was really surprising was what she was wearing. Felix and Sylvain both brought in a sharp breath at the sight of their professor standing in an Academy uniform similar to the one the girls wear, but this one was black with silver accents and had a long cape that fell to the back of her knees. The kicker though, was the knee-high socks and the heeled boots that were currently shuffling awkwardly outside his door. Sylvain’s eyes lingered on the stretch of skin between the knee-high socks and the hem of her short skirt. _Goddess._ It was getting hard to breathe, and Felix was struggling right beside him.

Sylvain was the first to recover. “Hey Professor! What are you doing here?” She turned toward them and looked over the dirty clothes and bath supplies in their arms. “Were you training this early, Sylvain?” Her eyes were crinkled as she smirked, her head was tilted to her fist in a way that almost looked teasing. _Yup… way more expressive now._

Sylvain chuckled nervously and threw his hands behind his head. It was slightly hard with all of the stuff in his hands, which just made the nervousness he was feeling worse. “I was bribing Felix for a favor, nothing to get too excited about.” 

Felix seemed to recover at the sound of his name and he grunted in acknowledgement. The professor looked between them with the same teasing look on her face. “Well I’m proud of you both all the same.” She lifted a vase holding a bouquet of light red carnations, up to Sylvain. “I wanted to wish you a happy birthday. I saw these in the market and thought of you.”

Felix grunted and said, “I’ve got to drop my stuff off and go to class.” He walked off toward his room without another glance.

Sylvain chuckled and tried to put his hands behind his head but failed due to all the stuff in his hands. “Want to open the door for me, Professor?” She reached over and opened it and he walked past to dump the stuff on the bed. “Thanks! You can set those on the shelf right there if you’d like.” She glanced at him from the doorway before slowly walking in and placing them down.

“Well…” She paused and shuffled her feet awkwardly “I hope you have a good birthday.” She turned to leave but Sylvain grabbed her arm. She turned her head back to him, but her body still faced the door. 

“Professor, I just want to say I’m sorry again about how I acted your first day. Seeing you again… it brought up a lot of bad memories. But it wasn’t fair to you, and I’m sorry.”

She softened a bit and turned her body towards him. She put a hand lightly on his forearm and looked up at him. “I thought that might have been what happened. I’m sorry I bring up bad memories for you.” She frowned and looked down, his chest tightened at seeing her so sad because of him.

“Byleth…” she looked up, seemingly surprised at the use of her name, and he realized he hadn’t used it since that first day “it’s not your fault. You’ve done so much for me, it was unfair to unload all of my feelings about what happened that day onto you. I’m sorry, again.” He smiled and it was his second genuine one of the day.

She stared up at him for a while before dropping her hand and stepping toward the doorway. She stalled in the doorway and her lip twitched as she turned toward him again. “I’ll see you in class, Sylvain.” Sylvain sighed and ran a hand through his hair. 

_I wonder what she would look like if she smiled._

The four childhood friends left right after classes to head to the nearby village for dinner. As they were walking toward the village, the conversation was slow. They passed a group of girls and he did his normal charming smile with a wave. When they giggled at him flirtatiously he called out, “Hey pretty ladies! It’s a great day isn’t it?” Sylvain was promptly smacked in the back of the head. “Ouch! Ingrid! Come on.”

Felix huffed and crossed his arms. “You can’t even control yourself enough to spend time with the friends you dragged out for your birthday?”

Sylvain continued rubbing the back of his head. “I didn’t even do anything! I just waved!”

Ingrid scoffed and started walking faster. “No, Felix is right. You would think that after going to all the trouble of getting us to come you would focus for once.” _Wait… is this what Fe was talking about? Does it hurt them when I act like that?_

Dimitri, ever the one to scold, was next in line to throw a barb. “No one is saying you can’t have fun, Sylvain. But you really should learn the art of moderation. It really affects your friendships and your schoolwork. I’m sure the professor would appreciate if you focused on training with half as much enthusiasm as you give your next… conquest.” Dimitri’s face wrinkled in distaste as Felix rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

“Oh shut up, boar. He’s not going to change, just like you aren’t going to change.”

Ingrid’s eyes were downcast and she started to wrap her arms around her waist. “I think we’ve all changed… maybe too much.”

  
They all stopped talking for a long stretch of road. _Is Ingrid right? Have we all changed too much to be friends?_ It would be hard to say that they were friends at this point. Prior to coming to the Officers Academy, the last time they had all been together was at King Lambert’s funeral. After that, Dimitri had locked himself away. King Regent Rufus turned away any visitors, even them, saying Dimitri didn’t want to see anyone. When he finally came out of it, he was a completely different person and he always had Dedue by his side. Ingrid threw herself into the whole “becoming a knight” business and never stopped training or studying. Felix closed himself off after Glenn died and Sylvain had already started changing before the Tragedy even happened.

Sylvain let out a heavy sigh. “Listen. I know things have been weird. I promise not to flirt with anybody until the end of dinner. Can we please just have fun and hang out together? Please?” There were hesitant nods from all three as they finally reached the restaurant. They ordered their food and sipped on some light mead while they waited. Things were still too quiet, there was no banter or back and forth between them.

“Sooo… which is worse?” Three heads turned toward Sylvain as he spoke. “The professor in the lace tights from her mercenary garb or the new Academy getup?”

In unison all three shouted, “SYLVAIN!!!” Ingrid threw her head in her crossed arms on the table. _Wait.. is she blushing? Okay… filing that away for later._ Felix punched him in the arm and glared at him, and Dimitri looked like he was having a hard time breathing. Sylvain laughed and crossed his arms behind his head. “His Highness gets it, don’t ya buddy?” Dimitri tried to glare at him, but it didn’t have much of an affect when his face was bright red all the way to the tips of his ears.

Ingrid recovered herself and slammed the table with the flat of her hand. “What is with you?”

Sylvain raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair. “I don’t know what you are talking about. I always appreciate a beauty, and our professor is DEFINITELY a beauty. I’m not the only one who has noticed. Heck, half the students at the Officer’s Academy are in love with her by now.”

Ingrid shook her head. “That’s not what I’m talking about. She is pretty, yes…” _okay… she’s totally blushing_ “… but I want to know why you act the way you do around her. And why you went crazy the day she was made our professor.”

Dimitri sat up straight and looked between them with interest. “I’ve been interested in hearing about that as well. We know you knew her before she came to the monastery. You don’t respect her as you should, and that first day you were so… hostile. It was very unlike you.”

Sylvain turned to Felix and noticed how solemn he looked. “Don’t look at me, Sylvain. It’s your story to tell.” He paused and looked down at the table. “I do think you should tell them, though.” 

Sylvain let out a heavy sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. He looked down at the table and noticed there was a knot in the wood and started to circle it with his finger. “I just don’t think I’m ready to talk about it…” Felix sighed and put his head down on the table. Dimitri and Ingrid looked between them in confusion. Sylvain shook his head and groaned. “The professor…” he took a deep breath “…Byleth, she saved my life when we first met. That’s why she was hired to train us all those years ago, and that’s how she became friends with Felix.” Felix didn’t raise his head.

Ingrid and Dimitri had the same confused look on their face, but Ingrid finally asked what they were both probably thinking. “Soo… why were you so angry? If someone saved my life… anger isn’t really what I would feel when I saw them again.”

Dimitri nodded enthusiastically. “She did save my life, and I feel nothing but respect and admiration for her.” 

Felix groaned and mumbled, “Sure you do, boar.” Into his arms with his head still on the table.

Sylvain looked between them and finally said, “You might feel differently if the reason she had to save you is because your brother tried to kill you… twice.”

Everyone went rigid and all the blood drained from Ingrid’s face. “You mean…” She paused before her brilliant green eyes lit up when she realized what he was saying. Her fist slammed into the table as she shouted, “I KNEW something was weird about when Miklan was disowned. That BASTARD!” She threw a hand over her mouth and her eyes went wide. “I’m sorry Your Highness, I shouldn’t have said that.”

Dimitri let out a dark chuckle and shook his head. “No, Ingrid. That is not an offensive enough word for that scum. If I ever see him again…” he gripped the table so hard it started to crack. Ingrid put a light hand on his arm and he shook his head before letting go.

Felix finally lifted his head. “You’ll have to get in line. Byleth already swore to hunt him down and kill him if he ever touches Sylvain again, and I’m next.”

Dimitri chuckled and shook his head. “That sounds like her…”

Felix turned toward Sylvain. “I hate that I was too young to protect you, then… but I’ll always be glad she was there that day. Always.”

Sylvain felt a tear roll down his cheek but he swiped it away before chuckling. “Ah… you DO love me, Fe! I just knew it!” Sylvain winked at him and Felix scoffed and tried to punch him in the arm.

Ingrid and Dimitri laughed as Sylvain tried to dodge Felix’s punches. Sylvain turned back toward Ingrid and Dimitri. “I’m not ready to tell the story yet. I don’t understand why I was so angry… I guess seeing her just reminds me of how much Miklan hated me…” All three of them nodded but didn’t say anything. “Things are better between us now. And one day… one day I’ll tell you everything that happened. I promise.”

Dimitri shook his head and with a solemn look said, “There’s no need to worry, Sylvain. It’s hard to relive the things that haunt us.” His face was pale and clammy and he kept looking off to the sides, avoiding everyone’s eyes. Ingrid took his hand and he shook his head before meeting her eyes.

She sighed and said, “I think we understand a little more, Sylvain. Thank you for telling us.”

The food was finally brought out and everyone started to eat. Sylvain’s chest felt lighter than it had in a long time, it had been nice to tell them… even if it wasn’t the whole story. Ingrid made a joke at Dimitri’s expense and Felix turned to Sylvain with a smirk. 

_We may have all changed… but… we’ll get back to the way it was. We all still need each other._

  
As they walked back into the gates of the monastery, they saw the Professor standing close to the entryway of the monastery. Dimitri broke out in a big grin and rushed forward. “Professor! How are you this evening?”

Byleth kept glancing between the gates and their group. “Did you guys see Ashe by any chance?”

Dimitri’s eyebrows furrowed as he stepped closer. “No, we didn’t see him. What happened? Is he alright?”

Byleth sighed and glanced back at the gates. “Ashe hadn’t left his room today and I was worried about him. I was talking to Raphael from the Golden Deer house and he suggested that it might help him if I asked him to help me with my duties… you know… to get him out of his room. I asked him if he would help me with the shopping and he was doing so well with everything, smiling and laughing like normal…” Her sentence drifted off and the frown was back on her face. “A thief ran up and stole a book he had been looking at. He paid for the book that was stolen and ran off after the guy. I had all of the supplies in my arms so I couldn’t follow. I brought everything to the kitchens for the cooks and now I’m waiting for him. I really hope he’s okay.” 

She was biting on her lower lip and shuffling her feet. Ingrid walked up and put an arm around her shoulders. “I’m sure he’s alright, you’ve been training us well, Professor.” They all nodded in agreement, but Sylvain was feeling worried. _What if something happened to him?_ Just as Sylvain was stepping forward to try and comfort her as well, her face lit up and she sprinted down the steps. She practically threw herself into a startled Ashe’s arms, and Sylvain was slightly surprised he was still standing. Ingrid chuckled as they walked over to see what happened.

“I’m fine, Professor! I swear it. I’m sorry if I worried you.”

Byleth was scanning him for injuries and fretting over him. “What happened? He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

Ashe blushed, nervous over the fussing, and chuckled. “No. I gave chase and he was a bit too fast for me. When I finally found him, I let him keep it. He told me he had a sick daughter and he was going to sell it to try and get the funds to get her treated.”

Ingrid let out a sigh and looked at Ashe. “That was very chivalrous of you, Ashe.”

Byleth’s eyebrows were furrowed in concern. “Are you sure that was the right thing to do, Ashe? He might have been lying.”

Ingrid and Ashe both gasped at her comment but Felix grunted in agreement. “She’s right, Ashe. He may have just told you a sob story to garner sympathy so you wouldn’t turn him in.” 

Ashe looked thoughtful for a moment before turning toward Byleth. “He may have been lying, that’s true, but I would rather try to help him and be wrong than have his daughter not get the help she needs. I don’t have the money to help everyone, and that may not have been enough to help him, but I believe I need to do everything I can to help others.” Felix scoffed and crossed him arms, but Ingrid and Dimitri both looked on in awe.

Byleth placed a hand on Ashe’s arm and said, “You have a good heart, Ashe. But next time be a bit safer for my sake, okay?”

Ashe blushed furiously and stammered out an “Okay Professor.” 

Sylvain crossed his arms behind his head and laughed. “Alright guys, it’s almost curfew. I know I’m not normally one for the rules… but we should probably get to our dorms before Seteth yells at us AND the Professor.”

Byleth nodded and looked up and him as the others walked away. “Did you have a good birthday, Sylvain?”

She had a small soft smile on her face and Sylvain felt a warmth in his chest. “Yeah, Professor.” He glanced at Ingrid, Dimitri, and Felix who had already started walking toward the second-floor dorms. “It was one of my best.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The childhood friends are bound together by a mutual disgust at Sylvain's antics and shared trauma. The basis for all friendships, really. Haha 
> 
> Also... PROTECT ASHE AT ALL COSTS!


	17. Chapter 17

~Felix~

It took a day's travel to reach Castle Gaspard. The tension in the group was high as everyone cast nervous glances toward Ashe, who had yet to leave Byleth’s side since they left the monastery. Mercedes and Annette frequently flitted over to try and cheer him up, but he was having a rough time. Felix couldn’t really blame him. He and the old man hadn’t been getting along since Glenn died, but it would still be hard to actively march against him. 

As they were nearing Magdred Way, they were met with a battalion of knights led by Catherine, the knight Dimitri had told him about the day Byleth sparred with her father. As Catherine walked up to them, Dimitri was immediately gushing. He was asking her questions, trying to get a conversation going with her. Felix couldn’t help but notice how stiff Byleth and Catherine were around each other. It was especially odd because they had seemed to be getting along well the day of the spar. Dimitri either didn’t notice, or was trying to force them to get along, because eventually he brought up Thunderbrand.

“You named your sword Thunderbrand?” Byleth’s voice was full of confusion as she tipped her head. Felix was confused by her reaction, and it seemed that the other classmates were as well.

Catherine eventually let out a nervous laugh and pulled out her Relic. “You mean you don’t know? My weapon is called Thunderbrand. It’s one of the Heroes’ Relics.” Byleth furrowed her brows and shook her head. _How does she not know about Thunderbrand? Or does she not know about Relics? How did Jeralt not tell her about this?_ Catherine looked confused at her lack of knowledge, but slowly continued. “A long, long time ago, the goddess bestowed divine weapons upon 10 heroes, which were passed down to their descendants. It’s an honor to wield, but I’m afraid there won’t be any chance for that today. Our mission is to help clean up the aftermath, not to fight.” Ashe paled and clutched onto Byleth’s arm. She looked at him and gave him her soft little smile. 

The smile seemed to give him a burst of courage because he stood up straight and turned to Catherine. “Why would Lonato incite such a reckless rebellion? He’s a kind man, he’s always been a devoted worshiper of the Goddess… I…” His voice cracked and he bowed his head again. Byleth put a hand on his arm and began stroking it in an attempt to soothe him. She’s gotten pretty good at the whole… nurturing thing... this month. She must be talking to Mercedes about it.

Catherine cast a sharp look at Ashe. “You should know more about that than any of us, Ashe.” Ashe began trembling and Byleth shot a glare at Catherine who immediately backed down.

Ashe’s voice shook as he answered her accusation. “Well, I don’t. Lonato never mentioned anything of the like to me.”

Dimitri put a hand on his shoulder with a grim smile. “He probably didn’t want you getting caught up in his own personal vendetta.”

Byleth nodded firmly and continues stroking his arm as she added, “That might have been why he sent you to the Academy, Ashe. He might have done it so you wouldn’t be accused of being involved…”

Byleth glanced pointedly at Catherine who shook her head and said, “Yeah. I don’t think you were involved, kid. Lonato has had this vendetta for a long time.”

“You sound like you know what your talking about. What do you know about this vendetta you speak of?” Byleth asked.

Catherine’s face fell and her shoulders slumped a little. “How much do you know about the Tragedy of Duscur, Professor?” Ingrid drew in a sharp breath and immediately turned toward the boar, who had his head down so no one could see his face. Felix’s chest felt tight as Byleth looked at all of their reactions.

Byleth’s voice was the softest he had ever heard it as she said, “I heard about it while we were traveling. We were in the Alliance when it happened, so I don’t know too many of the details.” She looked at Dimitri, but he wouldn’t raise his head.

Catherine sighed and pushed the bangs out of her face. “It’s when the king of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus was… was murdered by the people of Duscur. It happened about four years ago…” Byleth face went pale as she seemed to connect the dots. She reached out the hand that Ashe wasn’t clinging to to hold Dimitri's, but the boar still wouldn’t look at her or take her hand. _I wonder if that would be her response if I told her about Glenn._ It felt like a boulder was sitting on his gut just at the thought. He shook his head and tried to pay attention to Catherine.

Catherine looked at Dimitri in concern but he looked toward her and shook his head with a resigned smile. “It’s okay, Catherine. Please, go on.”

Catherine seemed awkward about the who thing. “Right… well, Lord Lonato’s son, Christophe, was accused of being involved in that whole awful affair. He was executed by the church.”

Byleth furrowed her brow and looked upset. “The church executed people involved in a Kingdom dispute?”

Catherine openly glared at Byleth and Felix put a hand on his weapon with unease as she venomously said, “The Kingdom was in complete chaos. The church simply passed judgement according to our doctrine in place of the Kingdom. Lady Rhea did what she thought was right.”

Byleth nodded pointedly and said, “Exactly. What SHE thought was right.” Catherine shook her head and stepped toward Byleth. Felix moved to step between them but Byleth shook her head and he froze, unsure of what to do.

Catherine was still angry as she spat, “Whatever the truth behind the incident may be, Lord Lonato has harbored resentment toward the church ever since. He is the man leading the rebellion that is aiming to slaughter innocent people, NOT Lady Rhea.” Ashe whimpered behind Byleth and Catherine softened before stepping back. Byleth, with an eye still on Catherine, stepped over and wrapped her arms around Ashe who immediately buried his head in her shoulder as she hugged him. Felix was busy glaring at Catherine. They are obviously fighting about loyalty to Lady Rhea. Catherine seemed to be a bit of a zealot when it came to Lady Rhea, it would make sense that she wouldn’t think highly of Byleth. She was a mercenary that was raised outside of the church that had been appointed by the Archbishop who continued to show her special attention. Just the thought of it made Felix scoff, it was all so weird when Byleth explained it to him.

Catherine looked down at the ground with a sad look on her face at Byleth’s continued glare. “Well… to be more specific, his grudge isn’t only against the church. It’s also against the one who turned Christophe over to them…” Ashe’s head raised from her shoulder and he looked at Catherine with a confused look on his face.

Before she could elaborate, a soldier ran up panting, “Report! The enemy is approaching! They can’t be avoided.” Ashe began to tremble as everyone else stiffened. Byleth immediately had a hand on her sword and her face went as stoic as she normally was in a fight. It makes more sense why she was called the Ashen Demon. The soldier continued. “Their numbers are far greater than we predicted. They used the fog to slip past the knights’ perimeter!”

Catherine cursed under her breath. “It looks like our mission just changed, Professor. Everyone, prepare for battle!

~Byleth~

_“This whole mission is a mess. Something feels off, Sothis.”_

Sothis hummed contemplatively. **“Look at the fog Byleth. Isn’t it odd that is settled so quickly in the middle of the day? Also it seems rather… patchy compared to regular fog.”**

“Mercedes! Annette! Does this fog look strange to you?”

Both girls looked around before Annette gasped. “Do you think it’s magic? The mage would have to be super strong to cover all of us.” Her face was full of awe.

Byleth shook her head. “I don’t like this. I don’t like any of this.”

Ashe squeezed her hand and looked into her eyes. “Do you think Lonato is still alive? Do you think we can stop him?” He had so much hope in his eyes that Byleth felt something in her chest squeeze.

“Let’s find out. We have to try and get there before Catherine, though. She’s not going to ask questions. I can slip through the fog and try to find him.”

Ashe latched onto her arm. “I’m coming with you.”

Felix growled. “Like hell you are. Neither of you are going off on your own in this damn fog. Getting yourselves killed won’t help anybody.”

Dimitri nodded. “He’s right. We need to stay together, Professor. For your safety and ours.”

  
Byleth shook her head. “Okay. You are right. Tight formation circled around Mercedes, Annette, and Ashe. I’ll take the lead. No one runs off, everyone stays in my sights. Do you hear me?” There was a chorus of “Yes Professor” as everyone got into position. There was an earsplitting scream and the clash of metal on metal.

Dimitri’s eyes grew cold. “It seems the knights are already battling.”

Byleth looked around scanning the fog for threats as she said, “We need to hurry if we are going to get Ashe to Lonato. Let’s move!”

A man with a woodcutter’s axe rushed out of the fog and swung at Byleth. “You think we’re just going to stand by while you try to kill our Lord?” Byleth used the hilt of her sword to break his wrist, he cried out and held his arm.

“Stay down.” She growled. “I don’t want to kill Lonato, and I don’t want to kill you. Stay down.”

A woman rushed out and screamed, “Fredrick!” before swinging an axe at Byleth’s head. She ducked and readied her sword, but when she looked at the woman, she had an arrow pierced through her shoulder.

Ashe still held his bow out, reaching back for another arrow as the woman screamed. “Why Lonato? Why did you drag the townsfolk into this?” Tears streamed down his face but his hands were steady. 

There was a crackle of what sounded like thunder before there was a blood curdling scream to the left. _Catherine isn’t sparing anyone. We need to get to Lonato first._ Byleth motioned and everyone began to move down the path a little faster. A mage in a weird mask leapt out and shot a miasma spell towards Dimitri, and Dedue threw himself in front of the prince. He fell, seizing on the ground before going still. Dimitri and Byleth screamed at the same time, “DEDUE!!” before there was the sound of breaking glass and everything went still.

**"Turn back, time! Save your lion cub!"**

Byleth let out a ragged breath. " _Right. I need to do this. The Ashen Demon doesn’t feel fear. The Ashen Demon doesn’t get distracted. I just have to go back a couple seconds before he is hit and take out the mage."_ The glowing sigil formed in front of her hands and she watched as Dedue stood and the dark magic went back into the caster’s hand. She watched the dark mage run backward into a thicket of woods and time resumed. 

“Halt!” All the students stood frozen as she ran forward into the trees. Ashe cried out, “Where are you going?!” But she couldn’t take the time to explain. She had to find that mage. She ran into the thicket of trees and heard a rustling behind her before she felt magic forming in the air. She ducked just in time to avoid the same magic that had killed Dedue and turned to face the mage. With a shout she rushed forward and stabbed him through the chest.

As the mage fell he whispered, “Please don’t die, Lonato.” As soon as the mage let out his last breath the fog cleared.

_“You were right, Sothis. The fog was magic.”_

Sothis appeared before her with her eyes wide. **“Yes, but we have lost the advantage of the fog. The one who wields the relic is almost to the young one’s father.”**

“Damn it!” She ran back to the students who still looked confused.

Felix stepped forward, seething. “Why did you run off like that?! What happened to the fog?”

Byleth shook her head. “I was right, there was a mage that was creating it. I killed him and the fog cleared.”

Felix looked confused, “But how did you know he was there? You just ran off with no warning.”

Byleth shook her head again as her impatience grew. “We don’t have time for this. Without the fog Catherine will find Lonato before we do.” Ashe went pale and started to run forward before she grabbed his arm. “No. There might be more mages or militia. Stay by me.” He looked between her and the direction of the fighting before nodding and stepping back. “Let’s move.”

She ran forward and heard the students on her heels. She and her students fought to disarm the militia members that charged them, trying to spare as many as they could, but killing the ones that wouldn’t stay down. The people were poorly armed and had no armor, even against a group of teenagers they were defenseless. Everyone was visibly affected by having to fight them. Byleth pushed the worry from her mind, and focused on getting to Lonato.

They stepped out into a clearing just as Catherine took out two heavily armored soldiers with her Relic. Sitting tall on a horse behind them, surrounded by knights, was a man with long white hair and a white mustache. _That must be Lonato._ Ashe ran forward before she could stop him. “Ashe, no!” He didn’t look back at her as he placed himself between Catherine and Lonato.

Byleth turned back to her obviously frightened students. “Defensive formation around the mages. STAY HERE.” Felix stepped forward until she glared at him. “STAY HERE. I need to keep Ashe safe.” He stepped back slowly and moved into formation.

Lonato spoke in a deep voice. “Ashe?! What are you doing here?” Byleth stepped in front of Ashe and put an arm in front of him. Ashe pushed against it but she held firm. Lonato glared at her. “Who are you?! Why did you bring him here?!”

Byleth shook her head but before she could say anything Ashe cried out, “Lonato?! Stop this. We can talk, we can work all of this out! No one else needs to die.” Lonato shook his head and glared at Catherine who started to circle around Byleth and Ashe with Thunderbrand raised.

Byleth called out to her, “Let him try.” Catherine glanced over at Byleth before stepping back into a defensive stance. 

Lonato was screaming in his rage. “You have been deceived by that woman! The filthy Central Church must receive judgement from the goddess.”

Dimitri called out from where he was standing with the rest of the students, “And you believe you are fit to pass that judgement, Lonato?”

Lonato turned his head and paled slightly. “I apologize, Your Highness. I never wished to cross swords with you. However, I cannot stop here. For my child, and for the people of Fodlan.”

Ashe started crying. “What about your people? Why did you bring the townsfolk into this Lonato?!”

Lonato’s eyes narrowed and his horse began stomping its feet. “Ashe. Leave... NOW.” His father was growling at him and Byleth tensed, lifting her sword.

She could feel Ashe trembling behind her. “Lonato! Please stop this?!” She could hear Ashe crying, but Lonato just shook his head unmoved by his son’s pleas.

“You leave me no choice. If you will not step aside, I will have to cut you down.” Lonato pulled a javelin from his saddle and threw it towards them. Byleth pushed Ashe to the side, but wasn’t quick enough to dodge. The javelin pierced straight through the shoulder of her sword arm, causing her to drop her weapon. Dimitri screamed, “PROFESSOR!”

The sound of breaking glass sounded off once more as she summoned the sigil to turn back time. **“The man will not back down.”** Sothis said solemnly. **“He was willing to cut down his own son in the name of revenge. You must kill him.”**

Byleth nodded slowly, her throat constricting at the thought of Ashe's face when she does. _“Do you think Ashe will ever forgive me?”_

Sothis placed a hand on her shoulder, but she could not feel it. **“It is better for your cub to be alive to resent you.”** Byleth nodded and drew upon the magic to turn back time. She watched as Ashe moved back to a standing position and Lonato’s javelin slowly left her shoulder to return to Lonato’s hand. Time resumed.

“You leave me no choice. If you will not step aside, I will have to cut you down.” Byleth was faster this time. She pushed Ashe aside as Lonato threw the javelin, she got out of the way faster, but the javelin still grazed her sword arm. She gritted her teeth against the pain and charged, sword held high in one hand, a fire spell forming in the other. She ran forward a few steps and the fire spell hit Lonato in the chest, knocking him from his horse. She continued to run until she placed her sword at Lonato’s throat, the only sound she could hear was Ashe sobbing in the background. Lonato’s face paled and he whispered, “That vile woman… Christophe. Forgive me…” Catherine walked up behind Byleth and stabbed through Lonato’s armor with her relic, Lonato was dead.

Catherine whispered, “I never thought I’d see Lonato meet this fate. Let’s gather our troops and go back to camp.” Byleth nodded and turned back to her students.

Ashe was kneeling on the ground sobbing while staring at Lonato’s body, tears streaming down his cheeks. “Lonato… I…” he crashed to the ground and laid still. Byleth rushed over and turned him over but he had passed out. She put an arm underneath his legs and cradled his head with the other to lift him. There was pain in her sword arm from the javelin, but she ignored it. 

Mercedes rushed forward while the others were frozen in their formation. “Is he alright, Professor?”

Byleth shook her head, _Ashe is not alright. He probably won't be for a long time._ “I don’t see any injuries. I think he may be in shock. We need to get him back to camp.”

Mercedes placed her hand over her mouth as tears streamed down her cheeks. “Lonato was ready to kill him… I can’t believe…” She shook her head and lowered her hand. “Can I heal your arm, Professor?”

Byleth shook her head again. “Check your classmates first, please. I’ve handled worse.” Mercedes hesitated but nodded and walked back towards her shaken classmates. “Let’s get everyone to camp.”

Byleth immediately walked into her tent and placed Ashe on her bedroll, Dimitri and Mercedes were close behind her. She turned to Dimitri and said, “Will you go and grab a waterskin and some dried meat for me, please? Mercedes and I will try to get him comfortable. He immediately scrambled out of the tent to follow her orders.

Mercedes’ hands were glowing with her faith magic as she checked Ashe for any injuries. Byleth sat near Ashe’s head, stroking his hair. Mercedes stopped and turned to her. “He doesn’t have any injuries, I think he may have collapsed from the stress and fatigue. I doubt he has been sleeping well.”

Byleth was staring down at Ashe’s face, counting the freckles that stretched across his nose and cheeks. “Do you think I did the right thing, letting him come… promising I would try to help?”

Mercedes was quiet for a long time before she softly said, “I don’t think he would have forgiven you if you made him stay back.”

Byleth tilted her head as she stroked his hair. “But will he forgive me for killing him?”

Mercedes placed a hand on her shoulder. “Professor, Lonato was aiming at Ashe with that javelin. There was nothing you could have done differently if you wanted to keep us safe. I think Ashe knows that.”

Byleth looked up at Mercedes and forced a soft smile onto her face. “Thank you, Mercedes. For everything.”

Mercedes let out a soft giggle. “I told you you would be fine to comfort Ashe, Professor. He has really come to rely on you this month. We can all see how much you care.” Ashe began to stir and the women went quiet as they waited for him. Dimitri entered with the supplies Byleth had requested and sat near them.

Ashe whimpered as he looked between the three of them. “Why… Why did this happen? Lonato was always such a kind man… Everyone in the village was so nice to me. And I… I hurt them. I had to, I know I had to… I know that! But still… what does that make me?” Byleth hushed him and continued stroking his hair.

Dimitri put a hand on his shin. “Please don’t beat yourself up, Ashe. We did what had to be done.”

Ashe began shaking his head and stood up. “I’m… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be bothering you. I need to go to town and check on my siblings, I’ll try to be back by nightfall.”

Byleth nodded and handed him the dried meat and the waterskin, then grabbed a bag of coin from her supplies. “Take this with you, you’ll probably miss dinner... and this may help you situate your siblings.” His eyes went wide, glistening with tears as he took it with a small smile and left the tent. 

Byleth, Mercedes, and Dimitri exited her tent soon after, and Mercedes excused herself to go and check on the others. Dimitri sighed and turned toward her. “That… that was my first time killing civilians too… Those who I’m sworn to protect.” Now that he wasn’t putting on a brave face for Ashe, Dimitri looked devastated.

Byleth put a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye. “You’ll find that that is the reality of war, Dimitri.”

Dimitri recoiled from her touch and his face contorted in anger. “Are you insane?! Those weren’t knights or soldiers, but fathers and sons! We… we should have protected more of them. We should have found another way!” He paused and looked down, all anger draining away. “I…I’m sorry. It’s not fair for me to blame you for the circumstance. I know that if we hadn’t… done what we did, even more civilian lives would have been lost. At least, my mind understands that. But… my heart…”

He trailed off and stared at the horizon for a while. “Professor… Those in power, no matter the era, always claim they fight for a just cause. That they take life to protect it. But… Is it truly okay to take any life you please, all in the service of some implacable “just cause”? Lord Lonato didn’t take up arms out of a lust for power. He simply believed his cause to be just. Who’s to say it wasn’t? Maybe we didn’t have to cut him down like that. Maybe we could have reached a mutual understanding… found a path to peace. I… I have to believe that. Perhaps the notion sounds laughable to you. Mere lip service to naïve ideals. But I can’t believe otherwise.”

Byleth shook her head, picturing Lonato’s face as he launched the javelin at his own son. “It's a beautiful idea, but I don't think he would have listened. He was acting out of grief. Even with Ashe pleading with him... trying to save his life... he was willing to cut Ashe down to serve what he felt was his just cause. Men like that… men like that won’t be swayed. I wish I could tell you otherwise…”

Dimitri grabbed her shoulders, desperation written across his features, and she winced as he grabbed her wound. “You don’t know that! You can’t possibly know that!” Felix stepped up beside her and yelled at him. _Where did he come from?_ “Boar! You’re hurting her!”

Dimitri looked down at his hands before quickly stepping back and letting her go. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, Professor. I… I need to think.” He walked toward the trees.

Felix watched him go before turning to her. “You do know, don’t you. You’ve seen things like this before.”

Byleth nodded slowly, a frown forming at the memories of past missions. “I’ve had to do things much worse than we had to do today in the name of someone’s just cause. My father and I always tried to do what was right, to pick the right side, but even being on the right side… if there is one… causes death. People in power make decisions that affect the people that rely on them. Sometimes they make decisions that get those people killed, like Lonato did with this rebellion.” She turned to Felix, his face was solemn as he watched her. “Dimitri may have to be that person one day, though I hope he never has to be.”

Felix nodded and stepped forward to touch her arm. “How is your wound? Have you had it healed yet?” Byleth shook her head and placed a hand over his on her arm. “I’ve had worse, Felix. I’ll be alright.”

Felix shook his head and frowned. “Byleth, you need to take care of yourself as well. Come on, I have supplies in my tent if you don’t want Mercedes to use more magic.” She nodded and let him lead her to his tent.

She tore off the tattered sleeve of her tunic before she sat on his bedroll. He cleaned her arm and wrapped it with care, neither saying a word while he worked. He traced his fingers over a scar on her forearm when he was finished. “You can’t just run off like you did today without telling us what you’re doing.”

She smirked a bit and watched his fingers as they traced the scars on her arm. “Felix, I’ve been doing this for a long time. You don’t need to worry about me.”

He lifted his head to look her in the eyes, and she realized how close their faces were. His amber eyes were ablaze as he stared at her, his voice soft but firm. “You are one of the strongest people I have ever met… but even strong people die.” He swallowed audibly and looked off to the side.

She placed a hand on his and asked, “What’s wrong Felix?” He shook off her hand and stood, turning toward the tent flap. “If you died... I would be... annoyed. I'm done talking about this. We should go and get some food.” She shook her head in confusion before following him out. _What was that about? Why won’t he talk to me?_

As she left Felix’s tent, she spotted Dedue sitting near the fire in the center of camp. The image of him seizing before going still after being hit with the miasma attack flashed across her mind and her stomach twisted. She walked over and stood in front of him. “Are you injured?” Dedue shook his head and stared silently up at her. Byleth nodded and let out a deep sigh. “I’m glad you are safe.”

Dedue’s eyebrows furrowed as he looked at her. “Are you alright, Professor?”

Byleth shook her head and sat beside him, staring into the fire. “I’ll be alright as soon as I know Ashe is alright.”

Dedue nodded solemnly and turned his body toward her. “We saw you push him out of the way of that javelin, even though there was a chance of being struck yourself.” The image of Dedue jumping in front of Dimitri came to mind and she shivered in spite of the roaring fire in front of her. Dedue frowned and looked her over again. “Are you sure you’re alright, Professor?” Byleth nodded but didn’t turn to look at him.

_“Thank you, Sothis. Thank you.”_


	18. Chapter 18

~Sylvain~

Sylvain was chatting up a hot girl when he saw the professor walk by. Her shoulders were tense and her jaw was clenched, and something didn’t feel right. “Hey lovely, I have something I need to chat with my professor about. Can we talk later?” The girl… _what was her name_ … nodded and gave him a grin before walking away. Sylvain ran up and grabbed the Professor’s arm, who immediately drew her dagger and had it at his neck.

He put his hands up and chuckled nervously, “Okay. Note to self, don’t grab the stressed out mercenary without getting her attention first.”

The professor’s eyes widened and she sheathed her dagger. “Sylvain! I’m so sorry. Are you alright?”

Sylvain chuckled and rubbed his neck. “I was just about to come ask you that. Is something wrong?” The professor frowned and stared down at her shoes. Sylvain looked around before spotting a bench off the main pathway. He held his arm out for the professor. “Why don’t we go over there so you can take a breather?” He pointed to the bench and she nodded but didn’t take his arm before heading to the bench.

Once they sat down, the professor seemed to be vibrating with energy. “Okay… what’s going on? I’ve never seen you like this, Professor.”

She looked up at him with a slight frown. “When we are alone you can call me Byleth. In fact, I would prefer it… It still doesn’t feel real that I’m a professor.” She let out a deep sigh and looked at some flowers that lined the pathway.

Sylvain crossed his arms behind his head and chuckled. “Okay, Byleth…” he enunciated her name, trying to tease her “… tell me what has you so wound up.”

Byleth tilted her head to her fist. “It’s last month’s mission. I’m worried about Ashe, and on top of that I just reported to Lady Rhea.” A scowl spread across her face and her eyes burned with rage. A shiver went down his spine.

“What happened with Lady Rhea?”

Byleth’s face softened a bit as she looked up at him. “I shouldn’t burden you with this… I appreciate your concern.” She began to stand to leave, but he reached out and placed a hand on her arm.

“Hey! None of that. Tell me what’s wrong.”

Byleth sighed and her shoulders dropped. “Rhea was angry that we hesitated to kill the townsfolk we fought. She said that it’s our job to stop anyone who would point their weapon at the heavens… but that’s not what they thought they were doing. And you guys are just kids. None of you have experience with things like this. I don’t know why Rhea keeps sending you on life or death missions like this when I haven’t had the time to properly train you.” She lowered her head and whispered, “I can’t lose any of you.”

Sylvain’s heart twisted. He reached out and pulled her into his chest. She stiffened and pushed lightly on his chest, creating space between them. “Thank you. I’m sorry, I’m not normally like this.” Her brow furrowed and she seemed confused.

He raised an eyebrow, confused himself. “Like what?”

She gestured to herself vaguely. “I’m not usually… upset? Emotions are... hard.” She tilted her head and looked up at him when he laughed.

“Well it seems to me you have plenty of reason to be. Everyone gets upset sometimes, Byleth. It’s alright.”

She still seemed confused as she sat there staring at the flowers. Finally she turned to him and said, “Thank you for listening. You’re kind when you aren’t trying too hard.”

Sylvain’s stomach dropped. “What do you mean?” He chuckled lightly and folded his hands behind his head. “I’m just me.”

Byleth stared with those big deep blue eyes for so long he started to fidget. Finally she nodded and said, “Whatever you say. Let’s go find the others, I need to inform everyone of this month’s mission.” Sylvain exhaled before standing to follow her. “Oh… and Sylvain?”

Sylvain froze. “Yeah?”

Byleth smirked before walking away, she called over her shoulder, “You probably shouldn’t try to hug your Professor next time.”

They split up to look for the other Blue Lions before meeting back in the classroom. Once they were all standing around Byleth she spoke. “Our mission last month was slightly more complicated than we thought. It seems they found a note on Lonato that had plans to assassinate Lady Rhea during the Rite of Rebirth this month. This month’s mission will be security during the Rite.”

“Professor…” Dimitri cut in. “The knights will certainly have their hands full protecting Lady Rhea. And perhaps our enemy is counting on that…”

Byleth gave Dimitri her soft smile. “So you see it too?”

Dedue looked confused. “Please, elaborate.”

Dimitri turned toward Dedue. “Why would Lord Lonato be carrying around a secret note with an assassination plot written on it?”

Byleth nodded with her eyebrows furrowed. “No one writes down an assassination plot." Her tone was almost incredulous at the idea. "This smells like a set up. They are trying to distract us from whatever they are actually doing on the day of the Rite.”

Annette gasped loudly. “Maybe they’re after the treasure vault. There’s also lots of valuable stuff in the library and Professor Hanneman’s quarters.”

Felix furrowed his brow in thought. “True. The monastery undoubtedly houses many weapons that rival even the Heroes’ Relics.” 

Sylvain threw his hands behind his head and spoke. “Whatever their aim, we can’t allow any harm to come to the beauties of the monastery. I mean, what would I do with my spare time?” Byleth raised an eyebrow at him while doing that soul staring face again. He winked to battle the nervousness it caused.

Ingrid groaned and punched his arm. “Can you be serious for one second!”

Dedue cleared his throat and cut in. “You mean to say we should search the monastery. Try to find what the enemy is truly after.”

Byleth nodded, her eyebrows furrowing in thought. She crossed her arms over her chest and began pacing in front of them. “This will most likely be something that is of high value, but is hard to get on any other day. With the increased security for the Rite, the payoff has to be worth it to risk all of this.”

Shamir walked into the classroom with a younger boy and everyone turned. “A secret meeting, Professor? Why wasn’t I invited?” Shamir crossed her arms and watched as Byleth paced before stopping to face them. Byleth’s face had that teasing smirk on it when they looked at each other.

Byleth then turned to the boy. “I don’t think I’ve officially introduced myself. I’m Byleth.” She gave him a little bow and he visibly flustered. “What’s your name?”

He shook his head and squared his shoulders. “My name’s Cyril. I work for Lady Rhea! And I’m Shamir’s apprentice! She’s teaching me about the bow and the sword and all kinds of stuff. I’ve gotta protect Lady Rhea, so that’s why I’ve gotta learn all I can from Shamir.”

Byleth’s eyes crinkled as she looked at him. “Well, it’s nice to meet you Cyril. How can I help you guys?”

Shamir shook her head. “I was just coming to ask you if you needed anything? I know about your mission this month. If you think of anything I can do, just ask.”

Byleth nodded and tilted her head to her fist. “Actually, we could use your help if you’re willing. We were just discussing the fact that all of this feels rather odd. We think that the assassination might not be the true aim of the perpetrators. We’re going to ask around the monastery to see if there’s something else they could be after.”

Shamir put her hand to her chin and looked to the side. “That certainly makes a lot more sense than leaving a note with an assassination attempt. We can help you ask around but on the day of the Rite I have to stick by Rhea. If we’re wrong, I want to be there to take care of anyone who gets too close. I owe her that.”

Byleth nodded and turned back to the class. “Pair up. Ask around about anything these people could be after. We’ll meet at sundown to discuss what we find.”

Sylvain put on his best grin and walked over to Byleth. “So… Professor… who are you going to search with?”

Byleth tilted her head and looked around at all of the pairs. “Would you like to search with me, Sylvain? I must admit, I’m kind of surprised you want to work with me.”

Sylvain put his hands over is heart in mock hurt. “Ouch, you really know how to hurt a guy's feelings.” Byleth put a hand on her hip and looked up at him. He chuckled nervously and put his hands up in surrender. “Okay fine, you got me. I’m just trying to keep an eye on you. I don’t want you working yourself too hard with everything that has happened.” Byleth rolled her eyes and started walking out of the classroom. “Hey! Wait!” He chased after her as Felix scoffed and everyone else laughed at him.

“We should probably start at the Goddess Tower and make our way down the monastery. I’m sure the monks have an idea of what the people could be after.” Sylvain tried his best to keep up, but Byleth walked fast when she was on a mission.

“What exactly do you think we are looking for.”

Byleth slowed down a little as they got to the bridge to the cathedral. “Somewhere in the monastery that has something of great value to steal that is going to be more easily accessed on the day of the Rite… I’ll know it if I see it.” 

They were walking across the bridge when they saw Hubert, the creep from the Black Eagle house. Byleth stopped and asked him if he knew of anything that would be of value to take on the day of the Rite. “Oh. I heard about the note talking about the assassination. You don’t believe it’s their real intention I take it?” He leaned in really close to Byleth but she didn’t even flinch. Sylvain stepped up behind her, just in case. Hubert looked up at him and then gave Byleth a creepy grin. “Can you imagine the archbishop being murdered? I prefer not to consider such a gruesome scenario.”

Byleth lifted and eyebrow before saying, “Of course not.”

Hubert gave a dark chuckle and said, “Awfully calm, aren’t you? I wonder what it takes to rile you up.”

Sylvain crossed his hands behind his head. “Hey dude, if that’s some sort of kink joke… I don’t think she’s interested.”

Byleth turned back to Sylvain and lifted a brow. “Who knows? Maybe I want to be riled up?”

Hubert made a chocking noise in the back of his throat and his entire face turned red. “If you’ll please excuse me, I need to go and meet with Lady Edelgard.”

Byleth gave him a little bow and in an overly serious tone said, “Of course, Hubert. Have a nice day.” 

Sylvain bent over at the edge of the bridge and wheezed he was laughing so hard. “I think you might have broken Hubert.”

Byleth looked in the direction Hubert had gone and shrugged. “One of the first things he did when I got here was threaten me. Who knew all it took was a sex joke to rile him up? Let’s get going.”

Sylvain chased after her as she walked up to the cathedral. “Wait, he threatened you?!”

She looked at him over her shoulder. “Yeah. It was something about if I am an asset to Edelgard then I’ll be fine, but if I’m a threat to her he’ll dispose of me.” She waved a hand like it was nothing, even though her life had definitely been threatened by that CREEP.

“Aren’t you going to tell someone?”

Byleth stopped and raised an eyebrow at him, her eyes crinkled as she tilted her head up to look at him. _Has she always been so small?_ “No. Why would I tell someone?” She crossed her arms and stared at him.

“Well…” Sylvain rubbed the back of his head “… what if he actually tries to hurt you?” Byleth let out a breath that could almost be considered a laugh and smirked at him. “I’d like to see him try. Now… can we get going, please?”

They walked into the cathedral and Byleth stopped walking so suddenly that Sylvain ran into her. Sylvain walked around to face her, and saw that she was standing still with her eyes closed. “Professor, are you okay?”

She cracked open one eye and said, “Yeah. I just like listening to the organ when I come in here. Just a second.” She closed her eye again and stood still. Sylvain chuckled under his breath. Byleth had a small smile on her face when she opened her eyes again. “Do you enjoy music, Sylvain?”

He tilted his head and thought about it. “Not any more than the usual person. I’m guessing you do?”

Byleth started walking toward the door to the Goddess Tower. “Tavern music was all I really knew until I came here. I like listening to the organ, or sometimes I come in for choir practice. It’s soothing.” 

They walked out the doors and were met by a knight with weird facial hair. In a booming voice he yelled, “Byleth! How are you?!”

Byleth walked over and bowed slightly to him. “Alois, I’m good. How are you?”

Alois gave her an incredulous look. “Well I’ve been informed that someone is going to try and assassinate Lady Rhea, so I’ve had better days. What are you guys up to?”

Byleth looked toward the Goddess Tower and then back to Alois. “I have a suspicion that the note was just a diversion for whatever the criminals really want. Can you think of anything that would be of great value that is easier to access on the day of the Rite?”

Alois shifted his weight to one side and placed a hand on his hip. “Well, Lady Rhea will be in the Goddess Tower for the Rite, so not in there. The Holy Mausoleum is only open on the day of the Rite, but there’s nothing of value in there.”

Byleth raised an eyebrow and said, “What’s in there? Why is it only open on that specific day?”

Alois gave a booming laugh. “Don’t look so suspicious! It’s where Saint Seiros is entombed, who would want to go in there? There’s probably…” he shivered noticeably “… ghosts.”

Byleth put a hand on his arm. “Thanks for the information, Alois. We’ll keep an eye out.” 

  
Sylvain looked over at Byleth as they walked back inside. “You think it’s the Holy Mausoleum.”

Byleth glanced over at him. “I think it’s worth checking out. Let’s see what’s over there.”

As they turned the corner that lead to the Mausoleum, Byleth was immediately grabbed into a hug by a girl with bright green hair. “Oh Professor! How are you?!”

Byleth hugged her back and had a small smile on her face. “I’m good Flayn. Have you met Sylvain?”

Flayn’s eyes went wide and she took a couple steps back. Sylvain lifted a hand to wave but she just stared at him. “That is Sylvain?" Her voice almost made her sound like she was scared of him. "My brother has told me not to speak with you. I am sorry, I must go." _Ahh... that check out then._ "Oh, but before I go. This place is off limits, Professor. It is only open to the public on the day of the Goddess’s Rite of Rebirth.”

Byleth called out to her. “Wait! Flayn! Do you know why?”

Flayn folded her hands and swayed from side to side. “Within lies the tomb of Saint Seiros! It is not to be disturbed, but on the day of the Rite, people can visit and pay their respects. Good day!”

Byleth watched her run off before turning to Sylvain. “Who do you think Seteth hates more, you or me?”

Sylvain laughed and rubbed the back of his head. “I don’t think Seteth could hate anyone more than he hates me, Professor.”

Byleth tipped her head to the side and her eyes crinkled. “I don’t know, I’m the mercenary turned professor that Lady Rhea hired without consulting him that’s about the same age as the students. And let’s not forget I used to wear lace tights around the monastery… You know he’s the one who made me start wearing this uniform? He said my leisure clothes were hardly appropriate for walking amongst the students.” She shook her head with a small huff that could almost be considered a chuckle.

Sylvain laughed again and shook his head. “Well I don’t know what he was thinking, because the uniform is probably worse.” Byleth tilted her head and looked like she was going to ask a question, but then they heard shouting in the Cathedral. They walked out and found Dimitri, yelling at a monk. 

“That is hardly an excuse to treat him that way. He is only trying to help!” Dimitri was towering over the monk as Dedue stood off the side staring at the floor. Byleth quickly walked up to them while Sylvain went and stood near Dedue.

Byleth cleared her throat right behind the monk, making him jump and turn around. “What’s going on here?” Her voice was low and her gaze menacing.

The monk looked her over before turning back towards Dimitri. “I don’t have time to deal with another student, this is none of your business.” His tone was haughty and dismissive as he waved his hand at her.

Byleth cleared her throat again and said, “Actually, my name is Professor Eisner, I was recently appointed by Lady Rhea. Now, can you tell me what problem you seem to have with my students?” Her voice was low and intimidating, it sounded so out of place coming from such a tiny person.

The monk whipped around and stared at her. “My apologies, Professor. You looked so young I thought you were a student and…” Byleth lifted an eyebrow and crossed her arms again. The monk cleared his throat and took a step back. “That Duscur boy is asking questions about the Rite of Rebirth and what would need to have extra security. I was telling him that this is holy space, and he needed to leave.”

Byleth stepped into the man’s space and put a hand on the hilt of her sword. “And why did you tell my student, who I sent on a mission to help with the security of the monastery, to leave? Was the only reason because he was born in Duscur?”

Dedue stepped forward and cleared his throat. “Professor. The monks have declined my offer of assistance. They said that no one from Duscur is to be trusted, especially now. Given the circumstances, I cannot fault them.”

Byleth didn’t even turn around. She took a step closer to the monk and said, “I can. If you speak to my student like that again I will report you to Lady Rhea personally. Do I make myself clear?” The monk nodded frantically and took a step back. She grunted in the back of her throat and dropped the hand from her sword. “Leave my sight.” The monk walked away quickly. 

Byleth turned and grabbed Dedue’s forearms, her indigo eyes narrowed and her eyebrows furrowed with worry. Dedue tried to step away but she held firm. “Professor… You should not be seen close to me. It will reflect poorly upon you.”

She shook her head and didn’t let go. “Dedue. I trust you with my life and the life of my students. If anyone treats you like that again, I want you to tell me immediately. You are due just as much respect as any of your classmates. Is that understood?”

She continued to stare and Dedue began to fidget nervously under her gaze. “I do not fault them, Professor.”

She crossed her arms and frowned slightly. “I do, Dedue. I will always strive to keep you safe. No one speaks to my students that way, or they will deal with me... and I am not fun to deal with. Do you understand?” Dedue cleared his throat and nodded slowly.

She turned toward Dimitri and took a few steps toward him. “Are you alright?”

Dimitri stared at her in awe, mouth opening and closing a few times before he actually spoke. “I’m fine, Professor. It was Dedue who was the victim. They shouldn’t treat him that way.”

She tilted her head and gave him the same stare she gave Dedue. “Alright. Report to me if you see someone treating him terribly again. I trust Dedue with my life… but I fear he doesn’t trust me enough to tell me when he has a problem.” She turned toward the exit before stopping to turn back toward them. “There’s a few more spots I would like to check, but my suspicion is that the target is the Holy Mausoleum. I’m going to go and grab some food, and then I will keep searching. I’ll be fine on my own.” She turned and walked out of the cathedral.

The three young men stood and watched her leave. Dimitri cleared his throat and turned to Sylvain. “Has she always been so…” He looked back out the door to watch her walk across the bridge.

Sylvain chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah. She has. When I met her… she took down a man about the size of Dedue while her hands and feet were bound and almost killed him. Jeralt pulled her off before she could, but not before she threatened to hunt him down and kill him if he ever touched me again. I'm pretty sure she didn't even know my name...”

Dimitri had a knowing look in his eye when he turned toward Sylvain, but Dedue kept watching Byleth until she had gotten too far away to see. “How can someone so small, be so very intimidating.”

Dimitri and Sylvain laughed and Sylvain threw an arm around Dedue’s shoulder. “I know right? I think that monk might have to change his pants before going back to his duties.”

Dedue shook his head slowly and crossed his arms. “Our Professor is a peculiar woman.”

Sylvain grinned over at Dimitri who had a smile on his face. “Yes, Dedue. Yes, she is.”

They met up again at sundown. The Blue Lions, Shamir, and Cyril had all reached the same conclusion. The Blue Lions were going to watch over the Holy Mausoleum while the Rite was happening in the Goddess Tower. 

Byleth was stern as she looked everyone over. "I need you to spend this month focusing on your training. These are not going to be bandits or untrained militia, these will be men and women who have no qualms taking the lives of students who come to stop them. I'm willing to bet they have been planning this for a long time..." She gave a smirk as she said, "Let's make sure they are disappointed."


	19. Chapter 19

~Felix~

It was past curfew and Felix was in the training grounds. He heard the door open, and some familiar heeled footsteps behind him as he swung his training sword at a dummy. It didn’t take long for familiar indigo eyes to stride into his vision, watching his form intently. “I thought I heard someone. Are you here to train?” 

Byleth nodded but didn’t speak, still watching his movements. Felix stopped and turned to her. “Care to train with me? Waving this sword around alone is boring, and I’m tired of crossing swords with worthless opponents.” A tiny smile crept onto her face as she continued to study him. “You are the only worthy adversary.” 

The tiny smile was still on her face as an eyebrow disappeared behind her bangs. “I am an adversary now?” She turned and headed toward the rack with the training swords.

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “You know what I mean, Byleth. You’re a good sparring partner, and partners like you don’t grow on trees.” 

Byleth turned with a training sword in hand and tilted her head. “First, I’m a worthy adversary… and now I’m a good partner?” Her eyes crinkled as she stared at him. 

Felix turned away and scoffed. He could feel the pink rising in his cheeks at the way she said partner. _Not that she meant it that way… that’s just you._ “Are you going to continue to tease me? If so, you can leave.” 

Felix could hear Byleth sigh and take a few steps. “I actually came in here to talk to you. There is a beginner’s sword tournament next week, and I would like to enter you.” Felix turned back to look at her, now more invested in the conversation.

“And why should I enter?” He crossed his arms and tried to keep his face impassive as he watched her.

She tilted her head and began to stretch her arms, getting her body ready for training. “Well, you are my only swordsman. And I thought you would enjoy the extra one-on-one training. I’ll even teach you more about my technique, though it might not appeal to you if you don’t have any interest in learning reason magic. I rely heavily on my sword, but magic is useful as well.”

Felix was immediately interested. “Really? You would teach me more of your technique? I’ll admit, I never thought there was a point in learning magic if you were good enough with your blade, but I learned how wrong I was when you took out Lonato.” She frowned at the memory as she twisted her torso from side to side. He coughed slightly and looked toward the training dummies when he realized he was staring. “How much extra one-on-one training would you give me for entering the tournament?” 

She bent down to touch her toes, before she continued speaking. “Well I was thinking we would train in the mornings before classes start until the tournament. But in order to do that I want you to do less late nights, less breaking curfew. I don’t plan on going easy on you, so I want you recovered enough each day. Good sleep, good meals, slightly less training.” 

Felix groaned and rolled his eyes. “Not you too.” 

She tilted her head so she could see him while stretching her legs. “What do you mean?” 

“Everyone gets on my case about how much I train. It’s nobody’s business but my own. Take your nagging elsewhere.” 

Byleth stood up straight and looked him in the eye. She crossed her arms and walked until she was right in his face. It made him want to fidget, but he stood firm. “I understand that you want to get stronger. I won’t fault you for how much you train. If I’m not training students, I’m doing faculty training so I can continue growing as well. However, my extra training with you will be a bit more grueling than you are used to. I’m going to run you through what Jeralt used to make me do. You’ll need to give your body time to recover. Do we have a deal?” She stuck her hand out for a handshake.

Felix shook his head but stepped forward to take her hand. “I think you are underestimating me, but deal.”

Byleth stepped back into a defensive stance and Felix did the same. They started to circle one another, each looking over the other. “So why are you so focused on becoming stronger?” Her eyes never left him and her face was impassive when she asked. 

Felix kept circling slowly, trying to wait for her to make the first move. “Why? I never really thought about that… You’re no use if you can’t swing a weapon, however mighty your Crest may be. Grow strong so you may live, and live to grow stronger. That’s what I was taught.” 

Byleth leapt forward and swung her sword so fast that Felix almost couldn’t parry in time. She smirked as she kept swinging, keeping him on the defensive. “You remind me a bit of myself.” Felix grunted as he continued to block her swings. Eventually he started swinging wider, trying to create some distance between them. 

“I’ve always been intrigued by your fighting style, and by who you really are…” A playful smirk was Felix’s only warning before he was disarmed and sent sprawling onto his back. _Damn it. Not again!_

Byleth was standing above him, pointing her training sword at his throat. “Yield?” 

Felix swatted the training sword away with his hand and grunted, “Yield.” 

She reached out a hand to help him up and he took it. When he stood, he swallowed hard as he realized how close she was. She looked up at him and furrowed her brow. “I think the way I do because I’m a mercenary. I train so I can live to fight another day. I wish for you to be strong so you can survive, but I would wish for you to have other ambitions as well.” 

“Other ambitions?” 

Byleth tilted her head to her fist and paused for a long time. “I will train and survive… until I one day die. That is my only choice. But I would wish for you to have more than that.” She took a step closer and again he felt the urge to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her close. _No. Stop that._

He took a step back and shook his head. “What do you mean?” 

Her brow furrowed and she frowned. “You can have a life that consists of more than training and fighting, Felix.” She paused for a long time, but he waited for her to finish. “I sometimes worry about you. I admire how much you train, and how passionate you are about learning how to get stronger, but you seem so different now. You seem… harder. You don’t interact with people like you used to. You don’t interact with ME like you used to.” She crossed her arms and stared at the ground. It all seemed weirdly… vulnerable. It was weird to see her acting this way. _If only she knew that the Felix who wanted anything more than strength died in the Tragedy with his brother._

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms, turning his body slightly away from her. “Life happened, I had to grow up.”

Byleth’s eyes were soft when she lifted her head to stare at him. “Will you tell me about it? Your life? All that happened while I was gone? I still want to know you, Felix. You used to tell me so many stories about your brother and your friends… I miss it. I miss knowing you.” 

Felix’s stomach dropped and he suddenly had the urge to run away. Glenn’s face flashed into his mind and his heart began to race. He took a deep breath and steeled himself. “I’ll think about it. Now enough of this idle chatter. Raise your sword!”

She shook her head and sighed. “Alright, if that is what you wish I will focus on teaching you.”

Byleth was not kidding when she said that training was going to be grueling. Every morning she ran several laps around the monastery with him, and coached him through vigorous training exercises that she used to do with Jeralt. They did very little actual speaking, he and Byleth were comfortable in their silence, but their conversation in the training grounds that night still rang through his skull. _“I miss knowing you.”_

The morning of the tournament, she wouldn’t let him do anything more than a warmup and some light stretching before they went to breakfast together. When they entered the dining hall, she offered to grab their food while he went to go and get them a place to sit. 

He spotted Mercedes at an empty table and went to sit near her. When she saw him, she smiled and patted the seat beside her. “Good morning, Felix! Here, let me pour you some tea.” He took it with a nod and sipped it slowly. “I’m sorry, I’m all out of snacks to eat with the tea. Should I go and grab some more for you? I could bake you some biscuits? I know sweets aren't your favorite.” 

Felix shook his head. “No, the Professor should be here soon. We’re eating a light breakfast before heading to the tournament.” 

Mercedes smiled and nodded at him. “Oh! But your clothes are so dirty!” She lifted his shirt that had dirt and sweat on it from the light training they had done that morning. “Let me wash them for you before the tournament! If you look your best, you’ll perform at your best!” 

Felix shook his head and scoffed. “Mercedes! What’s wrong with you?” 

Her eyes widened and she shrunk back. “There’s nothing wrong with me. I was just sitting here having tea. Is there something wrong with that?” 

Felix grunted and shook his head again. “You’re not my mother. You don’t have to bother with all this. I can take care of myself just fine. Stop fretting.” A flash of hurt crossed Mercedes face before she turned away from him. 

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude. You just remind me of my little brother.” Felix raised an eyebrow. _That’s not where I thought this was going…_

“I… I do?” She nodded and he noticed how sad her eyes looked. 

“Yes. His name is Emile. We have different fathers, but we grew up in the same household. That is… until I was about eight or nine years old. I haven’t seen him since then.” Felix felt his jaw tighten and his fists clenched. _I’m nobody’s little brother anymore._

“I’m sorry to state the obvious, but I’m not your little brother. I’m not Emile. Can’t you find someone else to bother?” His tone was sharp and she startled like he had struck her.

Mercedes shook her head and placed a hand over her mouth. “Oh… I’m so sorry. I’ll leave you alone.” She stood and hurried out of the dining hall.

“What the hell what that?” Felix whipped around and saw a very cross-looking Byleth standing behind him with two trays of food. She threw them down on the table and crossed her arms with a frown on her face. 

“What are you talking about?” Felix crossed his arms and glared up at her, feeling defensive at the look of disapproval in her eyes.

“Mercedes was being kind and you were mean to her!” She was staring at him so intently he couldn’t look her in the eye anymore.

He grabbed a tray of food and slid it in front of him, trying to eat. “She was fretting over me and comparing me to her little brother. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.” Byleth picked up the remaining tray of food but didn’t sit down. When he glanced up, he noticed she was turning to walk away. “Wait! Where are you going?” 

Byleth turned around to look at him with the frown still on her face. She no longer looked angry, she looked sad. It hurt. “I’m going to check on Mercedes and then I’m going to eat in my room. Good luck at the tournament.” She walked away without giving him a chance to respond.

Someone let out a low whistle and sat down beside him. “Wow. You are having great luck with the ladies so far this morning, Fe.” Felix gritted his teeth and moved the food around his plate, suddenly not hungry anymore. Sylvain put a hand on his shoulder and whispered, “What’s wrong, Fe?” 

Felix shook his head and continued to stare at his food. “Byleth was lecturing me earlier this week about how I don’t interact with people like I used to, and now she saw me yelling at Mercedes.” He ran a hand down his face and threw his fork on his tray. Sylvain chuckled and started eating his food. 

“Well she’s right, Fe. You’re really different from when we were kids. You used to be so open and happy…” he sighed heavily and chuckled “…and what’s up with yelling at Mercedes? I’m pretty sure she’s one of the nicest people at the monastery, if not in all of Fodlan.” 

Felix let out a deep sigh and looked at Sylvain. “She said I reminded her of her little brother.”

Sylvain stopped eating and turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow. “And?” 

Felix swallowed around the growing lump in his throat. “And… I’m no one’s little brother anymore.” He turned to stare down at his food, avoiding Sylvain’s eyes. Sylvain put a hand on his back and rubbed it gently. 

“I’m sorry, Fe. Why didn’t you just say something to Byleth? I’m sure she would understand. You might even get a hug out of it. You know how she’s been lately.” Sylvain winked as he said it and the anger from before burned in his chest and throat. 

Felix clenched his fists and turned toward Sylvain again. “I haven’t told her about Glenn. She doesn’t know! And I’m not going to use my dead brother to get a HUG. You’re insatiable!” 

Sylvain furrowed his brow and tilted his head to the side, obviously confused and choosing to ignore the insult. “Wait… Why haven’t you told her?” 

Felix glared at him and scoffed as he ranted, “I don’t know. Maybe because I don’t want her pity. Maybe because everyone else sees Glenn when they look at me and I don’t want her to be like everyone else. Besides, you’re hardly one to talk. You won’t even tell Ingrid and the boar what happened with Miklan.”

Sylvain let out a deep sigh and let his hand drop from off his shoulder. He immediately missed the warmth. “You don’t have to lash out, Fe. You’re right… I get it.” Sylvain ran a hand down his face and turned toward his food. They ate in uncomfortable silence until Felix finished and started to stand. 

“Can I come and watch you in the tournament today?” Felix felt a warmth in his chest that threatened to rise to his cheeks. 

“I’d say no… but you end up doing whatever you want anyway.” Sylvain smirked at him and he rolled his eyes. _Some things never change._

The tournament was easy. The only person who had been any sort of challenge was Petra, the Brigid Princess, but even she had eventually fallen to his blade. “I am being impressed.” She said humbly as he helped her stand. 

“I have a good teacher.” He mumbled back.

Petra hummed thoughtfully and swept her long braid behind her shoulder. “I am hearing good things about the new Professor. I have intrigue. Thank you for the fighting.” She walked over to Edelgard who put a consoling arm around her.

“You won, Fe! Congrats!” Sylvain was all smiles as he walked up next to him. “How does it feel to be the best swordsman at the academy?” 

Felix scoffed and glared up at him. “It was a beginner’s tournament, idiot. I’m hardly the best at the academy. I still get my ass handed to me every time I fight Byleth.” He huffed and walked over toward his things. The knight that had overseen the tournament walked forward and handed him a box. Inside was a new Steel+ Sword. _At least this will come in handy for this month’s mission._ He stuffed it in his bag and threw the bag over his shoulder. 

Sylvain was standing next to him patiently. “Don’t you have someone to woo or something? Why are you here?” His tone was more icy than it should have been, but Felix was still upset about that morning. He didn’t want to be dealing with his idiot best friend. 

Sylvain took a hand and rubbed it across the back of his head. “I mean, yeah… but I was thinking I could help with your problem.” 

Felix glared up at him before walking toward the door. “What problem?” 

Sylvain chuckled in a condescending way that made him clench his fists. “Well with Byleth, obviously. Don’t you want to hear my idea?” Felix stopped and turned toward him with crossed arms. Sylvain chuckled again and crossed his arms behind his head. “Well I was thinking we could go to the market and pick up some sweets for Mercedes. I’ll help you apologize over tea… since we both know you aren’t great at that… and then Byleth will forgive you for being an ass! Perfect, right?” 

Felix shook his head and sighed. “I’m surprised someone like you could come up with a not bad plan.” 

Sylvain smirked and winked at him. “I’m going to take that as a rare Felix compliment.” He jumped out of the way as Felix took a jab at his arm. “Now come on! Let’s go!”

Sylvain helped him pick out sweets for Mercedes. Why anyone would want something that tasted like it was going to rot your teeth was beyond him, so Sylvain was obviously the better judge. As they were walking back from the market, Felix spotted Byleth, on a pegasus of all things, circling toward the stables with Ingrid not far behind. Sylvain must have spotted it too, because he immediately nodded his head in the direction of the stables and took off. 

“Sylvain! Wait!” Felix walked behind him rolling his eyes.

They arrived at the stables and Felix froze. Byleth was sitting on a pegasus, stroking its mane and speaking softly to it. Her hair was a crazy tangled mess from flying, but her cheeks were a rosy pink and she looked so at peace that it took his breath away. She looked like something out of one of Ashe’s stupid storybooks, some warrior goddess with the power to soar through the air and crush all her enemies. Felix immediately shook his head and scoffed to himself. _You sound like Ashe. Get your head out of the clouds, Fraldarius._

Byleth must have heard him scoff because she immediately turned her head and saw he and Sylvain standing there watching. Sylvain was quick to approach, as usual. “Hey lovely ladies! Professor! I didn’t know you were working on your flying skills as well?” Ingrid rolled her eyes as she dismounted, but held her tongue. 

Byleth had a soft smile as she dismounted and continued to stroke the pegasus’ mane. “Well Ingrid is working toward becoming a Pegasus Knight, and I thought I would learn as well so I could help her more.” 

Ingrid nodded her head enthusiastically. “The professor is learning much faster than I am, I swear she’s good at everything.” 

Byleth rolled her eyes and shook her head while she reached up and went to comb a hand through her hair. “I’m not good at –ouch!” 

Ingrid was by her side in an instant. “What’s wrong Professor? Are you alright?” 

Byleth let out her breathy half chuckle and shook her head. “My hair is getting too long again. I’ll have to ask Jeralt to cut it when he gets back from his mission. I don’t know how to handle it.” 

Felix took a step forward and said, “Come here.” He felt his cheeks begin to flush as all three of them turned toward him quizzically. “I said come here.” Byleth walked forward hesitantly. “Turn around.” She raised a brow at him, but did as he said. He began to run his fingers through her hair, trying to get out the worst of the tangles. As he worked, Ingrid had a face of utter shock, while Sylvain had a weird look on his face. He finally got the worst of the tangles out and started working on a basic braid. Long raven hair flashed in his mind and he tried not to think about the last person he had done this for. He pulled the extra tie he always had out of his pocket and finished off the braid. “There.” 

Byleth put a hand up and felt the braid before turning toward him. “How does it look?” She shook the braid slightly and flashed her small smile. 

“Better than the rat’s nest it was before.” Her smile fell and Sylvain shook his head and smacked his forehead. _Why am I like this…?_ Byleth began to turn away from him and he grabbed her arm. “Wait. I’ll teach you how to do it… if you’d like. It might come in handy with training, especially if you’re learning to fly. The length suits you.” Byleth stared at him with those big indigo eyes and he dropped the hand from her arm. 

The side of her lip twitched and her eyes crinkled. “I would like that.” She leaned closer and asked, “How did the tournament go?”

Felix smirked and crossed his arms. “What do you think?” 

Something like pride flashed through her eyes as she searched his face. “Did anyone even stand a chance?” 

Felix shook his head and chuckled. “Not really. Petra has some skill… but I have a better teacher.” It might have been a trick of the light, but it looked like there was a light dusting of pink creeping up Byleth’s cheeks. 

“Well maybe I should look into stealing a Princess who can handle a sword…” She put a finger on her chin and looked up at the sky.

“Why? You don’t need her. You have me!” It came out as a very undignified whine that he immediately regretted. Sylvain and Ingrid laughed as she smirked and turned away from him.

She walked back to the pegasus to take off the saddle. “What are you guys doing with your free day?” 

Sylvain put out the hand that held the bag of sweets for her to inspect. “Fe picked up some sweets at the market for Mercedes, we’re on our way to go and ask her to tea.” 

Ingrid scoffed and crossed her arms. “Felix picked up some sweets? AND he’s going to tea? What did you guys do this time?” 

Byleth frowned as she worked on her pegasus, probably remembering what a complete ass he was. Felix sighed and hung his head. “I… I got upset with her this morning and said some things I shouldn’t have.” 

Ingrid smacked the back of his head. “Really Felix? Mercedes is one of the nicest people we know! Why do you have to be such an ass all the time?!” 

Felix glared at Ingrid. “She said I reminded her of her little brother and I reacted poorly. I’m trying to fix it, damn it! Just leave me alone.” 

Ingrid stepped back and put a hand over her mouth as she realized what he meant. “Oh…” 

Byleth looked between them with concern before walking over to them. Sylvain stepped in and threw a hand over Felix’s shoulder. “Yeah! Well, Fe and I are going to head out. You ladies have a lovely rest of your day!” Sylvain dragged him away and Felix let out a sigh of relief.

“Man… sometimes you are hopeless, Fe. Ya know that?” 

Felix grunted and elbowed him in the stomach. “Shut up, idiot.” _I know that already._


	20. Chapter 20

~Byleth~

She and Ingrid watched as Sylvain and Felix walked away. Ingrid turned to her and shook her head looking ashamed. “I’m sorry about them, Professor.”

Byleth shook her head and shrugged. “Why are you apologizing?”

Ingrid ran a hand down her face and looked at the ground. “I don’t know. I always find it’s my responsibility to clean up after those two. If it’s not Sylvain’s romantic escapades, it’s Felix being… well… Felix.” They each handed the reigns over to the stable hands and walked toward the dining hall.

  
Byleth had promised that they could work on their flying together and then have lunch together after finding her afternoon clear. She had planned to go to the tournament to watch Felix, but after watching him upset Mercedes, and then watching Mercedes cry about her little brother, she didn’t feel like being around him. When he and Sylvain had walked up, though… the look on his face had been like when they were kids. His eyes were wide and there was a hint of a smile on his face, it reminded her of how he used to stare at her when they were kids. She hadn’t realized how much she missed it. _I wonder if he’ll ever call me By again… or hold my hand like he used to. Though I guess that means something different now._

  
“Professor?” Byleth shook her head to clear her weird thoughts and looked over at Ingrid. “Are you alright? You looked pretty spaced out there.”

Byleth tilted her head toward the entrance of the dining hall and said, “Let’s get some food. I’m absolutely starving.” Ingrid’s face lit up with a big smile and she nodded enthusiastically. If she had learned one thing about Ingrid since becoming a professor, it was that food would always distract her. It was nice to find another woman who had an appetite like she did. A lot of the noble women here tended to stick to the lighter and sweeter meals, but she and Ingrid could put just about anything down easily, and a lot of it. 

  
“You know… it’s not your responsibility to look after them, Ingrid. Surely they are old enough to do it themselves.”

Ingrid laughed as she shoveled her food into her mouth. “It’s always been like this Professor, the five of us were always together and it always fell to me to corral the boys.”

Byleth furrowed her brow in confusion. “First of all, that’s some sexist bullshit.” Ingrid snorted and shook her head. “But what do you mean the five of you? I thought it was you, Dimitri, Sylvain, and Felix? Are you talking about Dedue?”

Anger passed over Ingrid face before turning into confusion. “No, Professor. Dedue has only been with His Highness since the Tragedy of Duscur. We didn’t spend any time with him prior to coming to the Academy. I’m talking about Glenn.” Ingrid frowned and looked down at her food.

Byleth had to think about it for a while. _Where have I heard that name…._ “Oh wait! That’s Felix’s brother, right? He is one of Dimitri’s knights right? I think Felix and Lord Rodrigue mentioned him a couple times, but I haven’t met him.” Tears sprung to Ingrid’s eyes and she quickly wiped at them with the back of her hand. “Oh! Ingrid! I’m so sorry! Did I say something wrong?”

Ingrid looked up at her with her eyes still glistening with unshed tears. “Do you really not know? I’m surprised Felix hasn’t said anything… though he usually gets really defensive when it comes to Glenn…” Ingrid turned back to her food and started moving it around with her fork.

Byleth softly placed a hand on her shoulder. “What’s wrong, Ingrid?”

Ingrid turned toward her and looked into her eyes. “Well… Glenn was Felix’s brother. He was one of our best friends growing up. In fact, he was my fiancee. I was supposed to marry him…” Tears were rolling down Ingrid’s face and Byleth wiped them away. _She keeps saying was… past tense._ “He was one of His Highness’ knights. He was with him in Duscur and…” a sob ripped through her and all of the blood drained from Byleth’s face. _Felix lost his brother that day. I’ve been so worried about Dimitri and I didn’t even consider Felix… let alone Ingrid and Sylvain._ Suddenly Felix’s comments while he was working on her arm and his reaction this morning made a lot more sense. Mercedes had compared him to her little brother, but he hasn’t been a little brother in years. 

  
**“Maybe that is why he is so different from your memories. To lose a loved one so young…** ” Sothis sighed in the back of her mind. **“Loss affects everyone differently.”**

  
“Ingrid. I’m so sorry… I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

Ingrid shook her head and ran her sleeve over her face trying to get the tears to stop. “No, it’s not your fault. You obviously didn’t know.” She sighed and turned to look at Byleth. “You know… Glenn is the reason I want to be a knight. He was the perfect knight, noble and virtuous. I used to watch him train and I loved listening to him talk about working for His Highness. All Glenn ever wanted to do was protect His Highness and the people of the Kingdom. Now I wish to do the same…” Her eyes looked so far away, maybe thinking about the past, thinking about Glenn. _Why didn’t Felix tell me…_

  
Byleth wrapped an arm around Ingrid’s shoulders and pulled her close. “I think you will be a great knight one day. You are strong, talented, and hard working. You have great potential Ingrid. I’ll do everything I can to help get you ready for after graduation. Dimitri would do well to have a knight like you by his side.”

Ingrid shook her head and looked down. “I’m not sure my father will allow me to go into His Highness’ service after graduation, no matter how much I wish it.”

Byelth frowned and furrowed her brow. “Why wouldn’t he?”

Ingrid bowed her head and whispered, “I have responsibilities to fulfill. I can’t let my desires get in the way of that.” She stood with her half empty tray. “If you’ll excuse me, Professor. I think I’m going to head to the training hall to get some more training in.”

Byleth nodded and waved her hand. “Of course, I’ll see you in class tomorrow. Great job today, Ingrid.”

 _"So in the Tragedy of Duscur, Dedue lost his people and basically his freedom because he is now a vassal in a foreign land where people look down on him for where he was born. Dimitri had to watch as his family, friends, and knights were massacred and deal with being the only survivor. Ingrid lost her fiancee and one of her best friends. Sylvain lost a best friend... and Felix lost a brother. How have I been here this long and I still didn't know? Why would Felix not tell me? I thought I was his friend."_ She sighed and continued to try and eat her food.

**"It is as I said, dear one. Loss affects everyone differently. I don't think he keeps it from you to hurt you."**

  
Byleth stood with her tray. As she was heading toward the door, she was stopped by Shamir, walking with Catherine. “Hey Byleth. How’s it going?”

Byleth shook her head and looked toward where Ingrid had walked out. “These noble kids are complicated, aren’t they?”

Catherine threw her head back with a laugh and Shamir smirked at her. “Yeah. I guess you can say that. Hey, Catherine and I are going to town to have some drinks tonight. Why don’t you come with us?”

Byleth and Catherine glanced at each other awkwardly until Byleth shook her head. “No… I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Shamir crossed her arms and looked between them. “Come on, both of you.” She turned and walked out the door while Byleth looked at Catherine, confused.

Catherine shrugged and said, “I find it’s better to just go along with it.” 

  
They followed Shamir into the Knight’s Hall and she threw a training sword at each of them. The knights and students that were in the Hall all turned to look at them, Byleth could hear their hushed whispers. Shamir smirked and crossed her arms. “Spar. Now.”

Byleth lifted a brow and stared at her. “Why?”

Shamir shook her head and with a serious face said, “I don’t know what you guys are bickering about, but you guys are going to fight it out and then we are going to get drinks. Now get to it.” Knights and students stepped out of her way as she went to stand near a pillar. Byleth noticed Dimitri and Dedue standing near the same pillar whispering.

She turned back to Catherine who shrugged with a smirk. “I’m down if you are, gotta see what all of Lady Rhea’s fussing is about.”

  
Byleth dropped into a defensive stance and Catherine mirrored her as they started circling one another. The whispering that had been happening stopped, and all Byleth could hear was the sound of her own breathing. Catherine was the first to charge forward, with a cry she swung at Byleth, but Byleth was able to match her, blow for blow. The first several hits were used to see how strong the other was, and try to find any potential weaknesses. Catherine was strong, but Byleth knew she was faster. She just had to use it to her advantage.

Catherine smirked as Byleth swung wide to give herself some space. “You’re pretty good. It’s been a while since I’ve had a good spar.” Byleth smirked back and nodded in agreement. The back and forth lasted a long time, they were evenly matched if they used typically sparring rules, but Byleth didn’t follow those rules.

  
Byleth rushed forward and swiped at her side, but Catherine was able to spin away before the hit could connect. Catherine tried to hit her in the back as she spun away, but Byleth ducked in time for it to swing over her head. Byleth kicked out her legs and Catherine fell to the ground dropping her sword. Byleth moved toward her to force a yield, but Catherine jumped up and rushed Byleth. Catherine wrapped her arms around Byleth’s torso and tackled her down to the ground, knocking the sword from her hand. Both were now unarmed as they grappled on the ground.

  
“You fight dirty! Ha!” Catherine was panting as they each tried to gain control of the other's arms and legs. “I need to spar with mercenaries more often, the knights are too strait laced for my liking sometimes.”

Byleth smirked and flipped them over so she was sitting on top of Catherine’s torso. She had Catherine’s arms pinned, one behind her own back and one under one of Byleth’s knees. Catherine tried bucking her off with her hips, but Byleth wouldn’t budge. “Yield?” Catherine let out a growl and bucked her hips, sending her head right into Byleth’s nose. Byleth pushed her knee into Catherine’s arm until Catherine cried out. “Fine. I yield!” The group that had been watching them cheered as Catherine smiled up at her. 

  
Byleth stood quickly and reached out a hand to help Catherine stand. Shamir walked over, slowly clapping. She had a smirk on her face as she said, “Alright. Feel better now?”

Catherine laughed and nodded. “Yeah! I knew she was a hell of a fighter, but she’s good. And that wasn’t even with her using magic. I gotta say… I underestimated you.”

Byleth gave a small smile and shook her head. “You also didn't have your Relic. This fight wouldn't have lasted nearly as long if you did. You are fun to spar with. We need to train together, working only with the students is making me soft.”

Shamir chuckled lightly as Catherine pounded her on the back. “Yes! Now let’s go get your nose looked at by Manuela so we can go get drinks!” Byleth raised a hand to her face and realized her nose was bleeding everywhere. _Hopefully it's not broken._

  
They started to turn toward the door when Byleth heard a shout of, “Professor!” behind her. She nodded to Shamir and Catherine, “I’ll meet you guys at the front gate in about an hour? I'll get my nose checked out and then I should probably bathe before drinks.” They each nodded and walked out of the Knight's Hall. She walked over to Dimitri and Dedue.

Dimitri handed her a handkerchief and smiled at her with a blush on his face. “That was extraordinary, Professor! You and Catherine are quite the match up. Watching you two with swords was one thing, but I had no idea you could grapple so well… it was…” he coughed and blushed “… it was certainly something to watch.” Byleth shrugged and took the handkerchief to hold to her bleeding nose.

“You should always be prepared to fight without a weapon. You never know when you’ll be disarmed like she was. It’s the difference between life and death. I can train you in some hand to hand if you would like?” Dimitri’s already flushed cheeks got even brighter as he shook his head.

“That’s hardly necessary Professor I…” Byleth cut him off with a shake of her head.

  
“I think I should run a seminar on it. Everyone could benefit from so hand to hand. Maybe I can get Catherine to help me teach. Do you think that the students in the other houses would attend as well? I’m willing to bet Raphael and Caspar would…”

Dimitri nodded and chuckled as he said, “Professor, if you and Catherine hold a hand to hand seminar, I believe it will be very well attended.” Byleth nodded and waved as she turned toward the door again. “I’ll talk to Catherine tonight while we grab drinks. For now, I should probably see Manuela about my nose. See you tomorrow in class.”

  
An hour later Byleth was talking to the gatekeeper when Shamir and Catherine walked up. Catherine called out to her with a wave. “Hey Byleth! You ready to go?” Byleth nodded and said goodbye to the gatekeeper before following after them toward the town outside the monastery. It was still pretty early in the evening, so they were able to grab food and drinks at the tavern before it got too busy. Catherine drank A LOT. It reminded Byleth a lot of Jeralt. Shamir and Byleth both drank less, and Shamir was always checking their surroundings. _Ever the sniper. She would be a good one to keep around._

  
About an hour after they sat down, Catherine was thoroughly drunk. “Sooo… Byleth… how are you liking the Professor gig?” She was slurring as she leaned her head heavily on her hand. Shamir slipped some water in front of her and pulled the mead toward her with a wink.

Byleth shrugged and sat back in the chair. “I don’t know, I’m still getting used to it. This is probably the longest I’ve ever stayed in one place… and working with noble kids is…” she stopped and took another drink.

Shamir chuckled softly and leaned over. “It’s definitely not mercenary work, that’s for damn sure.” Byleth nodded and raised her glass toward Shamir before taking another drink.

  
Catherine looked between the two and grunted before saying, “Is it weird working with kids that are practically your age? I mean… how old are you anyway?”

Byleth shrugged and looked up at the ceiling. “Jeralt never kept track while we were on the road. He thinks I’m probably about 20.” Catherine’s eyebrows shot to her hairline and her jaw dropped.

“Wait. You’re the age of the students and Rhea still hired you as a professor?! I’m 27 and I’m sure she didn’t even consider me!” She crossed her arms and slumped in her chair. Shamir sat back in her chair and stared at Catherine.

“You would hate teaching noble brats and you know it. You like being in the action too much.” Catherine huffed but didn’t say anything. Shamir smirked and watched Catherine pout. “Don’t mind my partner. She’s weird when it comes to Lady Rhea. I think it’s refreshing that someone like you was hired. Those noble kids could use someone who’s not going to coddle them, and you’re obviously skilled.”

  
After a few more drinks Byleth was starting to feel tipsy and she realized she had to teach tomorrow morning. With a deep sigh she placed her cup back on the table and threw some coins down. “I should probably head back. I have to be ready to teach in the morning. Thanks for the invite.” Shamir nodded to her as Catherine continued to pout and mutter about Lady Rhea. “We’ll see you later, I’ll get Catherine back to the monastery when we are done.”

  
Byleth walked out the door and took a deep breath as the fresh air washed over her. It was just past sundown and the merchants were packing up their stalls, getting ready to head home for the night. Byleth walked toward the monastery until she heard shouting and turned a corner to see Sylvain and a girl fighting near the well in the center of the village. Sylvain was doing his same “pretending to be nonchalant” pose with his arms crossed behind his head. His voice was even but his eyes were empty as he spoke to the obviously frustrated girl. Byleth took the time to look at the girl and realized she was rather plain. She had short brown hair and brown eyes, and she was in commoner clothes. That seemed to be the type that she normally saw with Sylvain, not that he didn’t flirt with the nobles in the Academy as well. _I wonder if he realizes how much power he has over these people._

  
Sylvain was a complex guy. She didn’t quite know what his deal was, but he was obviously deflecting some issue by flitting between the girls and guys that he dated. She never saw him interact with any real warmth or sincerity, but to these commoners he was still a big deal. Sylvain was handsome, it didn’t take much to see that. He was also wickedly charming and smart, not that he would let anyone know that. 

  
She was pulled out of her line of thought when the volume of their argument escalated. “You think I would cheat? On you, baby? Never!” Byleth rolled her eyes. _Yeah right. That’s what he’s known for._ “Oh I get it, if I’m not your type, maybe I can set you up with another Crest bearing noble. That’s all you’re after, isn’t it?”

The girl began to cry and turned away. “What?! That isn’t why I… You… you’re worse than I thought!” The girl ran past Byleth still crying and Byleth turned to watch her go.

  
“Byleth… I didn’t know you were the type to enjoy spying.” Byleth shrugged as Sylvain walked towards her.

“Is it really spying if you guys are yelling at each other in the middle of town?”

Sylvain stared at her for a while before his eyes narrowed. “You look like you have something you want to say. Why don’t you just go ahead and say it?”

Byleth stared up at him and crossed her arms. “It looks like you broke her heart, but I’m sure you already knew that. And what was that bullshit about setting her up with another crest bearing noble?”

Sylvain scoffed and ran his fingers through his hair. “She didn’t actually like me, Byleth. She only liked my Crest and my name. That’s all they are after.”

  
Byleth furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head to her fist. “Do you really think that?”

Sylvain’s eyes widened and he seemed surprised. “Well… yeah. That’s how it always is. Why? You think it’s something else?”

Byleth looked him over and gestured toward him. “So… you don’t think a plain looking commoner girl would fall for the passably attractive, charming, noble boy who flirts with her? Really?”

Sylvain chuckled and crossed his arms behind his head. He was fidgeting and obviously didn’t want to talk about it anymore. “I don’t know, Byleth. I really don’t. All I know is most relationships end in heartbreak, just like that one did. And I really do hate seeing pretty girls cry.” 

  
Byleth put her hand on her hip and smirked up at him. “Oh. Is that a fact?”

Sylvain started pouting and slumped his shoulders. “Oh come on, Byleth. This is hard on me, too! If only I had someone to comfort me.” He walked up and stood right up against her. She could feel his breath on her face as she tilted it up to meet his eyes. He circled a hand around her waist and pulled her close. A foreign heat burned in her core and she felt a warmth in her cheeks. _Did I drink too much?_

  
A wicked grin spread across Sylvain’s face as he pulled her up against him. She could feel the muscles in his chest and the firmness of his stomach and it got harder to breathe. “Byleth…” He bent down and whispered in her ear, and a shiver went down her spine. “… it’s okay if you want to console me. We could go back to my room, or yours, have some tea… talk… or not talk.” He grasped her chin and tilted it up toward him as he lowered his face to hers.

  
**“What are you doing?! I leave you alone for a few hours and this is how I find you?! Get away from the philanderer!”**

  
Byleth jumped back and shook her head. She stared up at him and saw a flash of something cross his face before the same nonchalant smirk was plastered onto his face. “Alright, alright! It was just a joke, Byleth. You’ve got no sense of humor, you know that?” He turned and walked away before she could respond.

  
 _“What in the hells just happened, Sothis?”_ Sothis huffed and appeared in front of her.

**“I was having a nice nap and I was stirred by a weird feeling of yours. You know what you did!”**

Byleth stared at Sylvain’s back. _“I’ve never felt… that… so strongly. I get what it was now… but…”_ She put her hands over her eyes. _“Oh goddess. What’s happening to me? I’ve never felt this much before…”_

Sothis sighed and her face softened. **“It is peculiar. You have been feeling a lot more recently. I wonder what is causing it.”** She hummed thoughtfully and then vanished. **“Head back to the monastery, you will need rest before teaching tomorrow. We can ponder this more later.”**

  
Byleth began walking back to the monastery. _“I can’t be concentrating on stuff like this right now. The Rite is less than a week away and I need to be focused on keeping my students and the occupants of the monastery safe. I don't have time to ponder if I'm attracted to one of my students. Besides... Sylvain has made it obvious that he doesn't like me because of everything that happened with Miklan. He was just teasing me... and it worked.”_ She groaned in frustration as she walked.

Sothis sighed heavily and silence filled her walk for a while. **“I know you care deeply for your lions, but I care deeply for you. I won’t let you ignore yourself. Just... do yourself a favor and stay away from the philanderer. It's obvious his feelings for you are... complicated.** ” Byleth nodded while continuing to ponder everything. 

  
_When did everything get so complicated?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want there to be an awesome friendship between Catherine, Shamir, and Byleth. Because badass women should support badass women... even if they don't agree on everything. Ha!


	21. Chapter 21

~Sylvain~

_This was supposed to be a joke._ His arms were wrapped around Byleth’s waist. She was pressed up against him and she hadn’t pushed him away. He never thought he would get this far… but now she was in his arms looking up at him. Her big indigo eyes were half lidded, her pink full lips were parted just so, a light dusting of pink across her cheeks, and when he whispered in her ear… oh Goddess… he FELT the shiver down her spine. _What is happening?_

  
His heart was pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears. _Byleth. Byleth. Byleth. Byleth._ It was a chorus in his brain, blocking out any other thought. He cupped her chin and tilted it up so he would have access to press a kiss to her lips and… her eyes went wide and she looked like he had burned her. 

  
It felt like a blow to the chest. _Why would she want you anyway? What would Felix think? He would NEVER forgive you. Are you really such a piece of shit you are willing to throw away a lifetime of friendship for your pretty professor?_

  
_You mean the beautiful warrior goddess that saved my life and continues to see right through the façade and still want the best for me? Yes._   
_Oh goddess… what is wrong with you._

  
_Run away. Run away. Run away._ He tried to play it off. “Alright, alright! It was just a joke, Byleth. You’ve got no sense of humor, you know that?” _Run away. Run away. Run away._ He turned and walked away before she could say anything. _What was I even thinking? Why would she ever look at me that way. She knows I was angry that first day she came. She probably thinks I hate her… I thought I hated her. Or maybe she just wanted to get some action and leave it be. Maybe all I could be is a one night stand. Wouldn’t that be fine? That’s what everyone always wants anyway… No Gautier! No. Stop._

  
He got back to his room and slammed the door shut behind him. He threw himself onto his bed and pressed his pillow into his face. _What the hell just happened? What was I thinking?! What was she thinking?! She’s my professor. Felix is basically in love with her… not to mention half of the Academy and staff at the monastery. She would never look at you like that. Get yourself together, Gautier._

  
He threw the pillow across the room with a cry of frustration. He turned to face the wall next to his bed and the faint scent of lavender invaded his senses. He unbuttoned his shirt and brought it to his nose. _It’s her. She smells like lavender._ The shirt joined the pillow in some lonely corner of the room as he curled himself up under the sheets. _Get yourself together, Gautier. Romantic feelings aren’t real anyway… certainly not for you._

They avoided each other for the next six days until the day of the Rite of Rebirth. If they locked eyes in the classroom she swiftly looked away. She stayed away from him during weapons training, and wouldn’t touch him if she did give him instruction. He MISSED her, and it disgusted him. He would watch her lectures and all he could think about was her face right before he leaned in, and then the look when she pushed away. 

  
_Get your act together, Gautier! She’s just one girl. You are going to get sold off to some noble woman and have to pump out crest babies for the rest of your life. You don’t have time to waste thinking about your pretty professor._

  
Dimitri was all business when they came together just before the Rite. Sylvain tried really hard not to roll his eyes. His Highness was all over Byleth as they whispered to each other. It was probably about the mission… right? 

  
“What’s going on with you and Byleth?” Sylvain jumped as Felix whispered the question next to him. He realized he had definitely just been staring… or maybe glaring. Who knows? 

  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He ran his hand through his hair and smiled, even though Felix was definitely going to see through his bullshit. 

  
And he did, with a glare he asked, “What did you do, idiot? If you pulled something with her… if you hurt her… I swear I’ll…” 

  
Sylvain threw his hands up and looked around at their other classmates. Everyone else seemed to concentrate on whatever conversation was happening over there. “Woah, woah, woah. Fe! I didn’t do anything I swear!” Felix cut a glare at him and crossed his arms before heading toward the group. _It’s only a half lie… he never has to know that._

  
Sylvain caught the end of whatever Dimitri was saying as he joined them. “Let’s move ahead with our plan.” _Right. Holy Mausoleum. Got it._ Dedue was all business as usual. “Leave it to me. Professor, are you in as well?” There was a hint of a smile on the corner of Dedue’s lips that made something in his stomach curl. _What… you almost kiss her once and now you’re possessive? Get ahold of yourself!_ He shook his head and tried to concentrate. Right before a potential battle was not the time to be thinking about any of this.

  
Ingrid was weirdly excited about this whole thing. “We’ve narrowed down their objective… kind of. So let’s show everyone that we can carry out our duties better than anyone!” This time Sylvain did roll his eyes, and Felix did the same with a scoff beside him.

Dimitri stepped close to Byleth and placed a hand on her upper arm. “We’re counting on you, Professor.” Felix stiffened beside him and then shook his head.

  
Seteth and that green haired girl who was scared of him the other day walked up just then. “You seem a mite too relaxed for my liking. The Goddess’s Rite of Rebirth is about to begin. While we are in the Goddess Tower, we are relying on you to secure the locations that are lacking in defense.” He sounded so judgmental as he looked her over. His brow was furrowed and there was a frown on his lips like he disapproved of her. _Byleth was right… he really doesn’t like her._

  
Flayn leaned in and in a terribly loud stage whisper she said, “May I let you in on something, Professor? My brother can be a bit… callous.” Seteth made a noise of disagreement and Sylvain snickered. It earned him a green-eyed glare from Seteth. Flayn continued with a giggle, “He told me that he was concerned about you, and he hinted that perhaps you would be better off patrolling a coffin!” Byleth’s face was impassive but there was a collective gasp from Mercedes, Annette, and Ashe that made Sylvain shake his head. 

  
Seteth visibly flustered and a light pink crossed his cheeks. “That was said in jest, Flayn! And in confidence. Please remain by my side and do not cause any more trouble.” He turned to Byleth and in a stern voice said, “As a professor, you would do well to remember that it is your duty to guide your students down the path of righteousness.” Felix scoffed and the side of Byleth’s mouth twitched. _He does know that she’s a former mercenary with a shocking lack of knowledge about the church… right? I mean, what rock did Jeralt hide her under? She didn’t even know about Relics when Catherine brought up Thunderbrand! “Path of righteousness” my ass._

  
Dimitri cleared his throat and spoke as soon as they were out of hearing range. “All right. Let’s stick to the plan, and go hide where we can watch over the entrance of the Holy Mausoleum. If anyone suspicious enters, we’ll follow them in and take them down. Got it?” Byleth gave a silent nod and everyone started to walk toward the entryway of the Mausoleum. 

  
Shortly after entering the Holy Mausoleum, Byleth put a finger over her mouth and everyone stopped walking and quieted down. “We’re too late. Someone is already in there.” Byleth’s face was impassive and cold as she rushed everyone in. 

  
“Damn it… how did they get this many people in here? And how did they get a horse down here?” Felix was seething beside him.

  
A man in a weird mask was standing next to a coffin at the very end of the chamber. He shouted when they entered. “Those Central Church dastards have spotted us… Buy me some time while I open the seal on the casket!” 

  
Dimitri stiffened and turned to Byleth. “The enemy is after the casket of Saint Seiros. Do they intend to steal her bones?” 

  
Byleth turned toward everyone and shouted orders without acknowledging the question. “Sylvain, Felix, and Annette you head up the left side. Dimitri, Dedue, and Ashe you’ll head up the right. Mercedes and I are going to go up the center. Mercedes, you’ll provide healing support. I’ll draw as many of them as I can. Stay away from the knight in the middle. No one is to go near him.”

  
Sylvain rushed over with Felix and Annette as the first of the soldiers started to attack them. There were only about five soldiers in their aisle, mostly mages and archers. They were able to fight through them rather quickly. The mage in the weird mask started to panic as the students tore through the soldiers. “Death Knight! Prove your strength and scatter these fools.” 

  
Sylvain risked a look over at the knight in the center of the room. His warhorse was black with heavy armor, and the knights’ armor was as black as his horse. He had a mask that looked like a skull with horns protruding from it, and the eyes glowed red. _Death Knight… wait… haven’t there been rumors about a scary knight taking people?_

  
A distorted voice came through the skull mask. “I don’t take commands. Or waste my time on weaklings.” The Death Knight was completely still as they all fought on. Isn’t it weird that he’s not even concerned about his allies? Felix hissed as he was struck in the thigh by an arrow and Sylvain shook his head and rushed forward to take out the rogue archer. _You can’t get distracted! You’re going to get Felix killed!_

  
Annette was busy healing Felix’s leg, so Sylvian stood to guard them. The archer had been the last enemy on their side. Sylvain looked over and his face paled as he saw Byleth fighting five enemies while Mercedes tried to provide support from behind a pillar. Felix grabbed his arm and his amber eyes were wide as he looked between him and Byleth. “Go help her!” 

  
Sylvain shook his head. “I have to stay here and guard you, Fe… I can’t let you get hurt again.” Byleth let out a cry as one of the mages hit her with a fire spell, the left sleeve of her leather armor was smoldering as she cut the mage down with gritted teeth. It looked like she had already taken several hits. 

  
Annette shook her head and pushed him away. “Go! We took down everyone on this side. The professor needs help! I’ve got Felix’s leg as healed as I can. GO!”

  
Sylvain nodded and quickly ran over and thrust his spear through the chest of a mage readying a sigil to blast Byleth. One of the swordsmen noticed him and ran over to intercept him. Byleth was able to take out two of the other enemies, and they fought back to back as they finished off the last two. 

  
Byleth nodded to him, “Thank you. My plan of getting them all to attack me worked a little too well.” She smirked and wiped some blood off of her face. Sylvain took a moment to look around, she had to have taken out at least fifteen soldiers before he had come to help. 

  
“Putting yourself in danger isn’t really a battle plan, Professor.” His tone was harder than he meant it to be, but she gave him a smirk in return. 

  
“I’ll be more careful. Will you guard Mercedes while I go after the mage at the casket?” Sylvain walked over and stood beside Mercedes who gave him a gentle “thank you” as he walked up. 

  
Byleth was off in a flash. The Death Knight watched her every move as she skirted past him, taking out the last two soldiers between her and the mage at the casket. As she took the last soldier out, she stalked up to the mage in the mask. Sylvain and Mercedes pushed forward to support her, and Sylvain could see the others coming as well. 

  
Sylvain heard a dark chuckle as the mage spoke over his shoulder at her. “You’re too late! The seal will be broken any minute now… There! The seal is broken. You can’t… huh? A sword?” The mage pulled a weird sword from the casket and drew it against Byleth. She knocked it out of his hand easily and caught it in her own. The mage shot a massive ball of fire at her and she swiped the weird sword right through it. The fire dispersed and the sword glowed red. Wait... that looks like the Lance of Ruin… Byleth has a Crest? A chill ran down Sylvain’s spine as he watched Byleth.

  
The mage conjured a wall of light between him and Byleth. Byleth let out a battle cry and pushed against it with the glowing sword. With the sound of glass breaking, the magical barrier shattered. Mercedes gasped beside him and put a hand over her mouth.

  
Byleth cut through the mage with ease, grunting as the body hit the ground. She paused for a moment and looked down at the sword in her hand before swaying slightly and dropping it. The Death Knight let out a dark chuckle. “That sword is… I see. What a pleasant surprise.” Then in a rush of pinkish light, he was gone. 

  
All was quiet in the Mausoleum. They had finished off the last of the enemies and Sylvain watched as everyone surrounded Byleth. Felix reached her first and put an arm around her waist to steady her as she swayed. “Are you alright, Byleth?” His voice was thin with worry. 

  
Byleth nodded and leaned against him. “I guess I took one too many hits today… and that weird sword…” Everyone turned to look at it where it lay on the floor. 

  
Dimitri stepped forward and hesitantly said, “Professor… the way that sword was glowing. I wonder…”

  
There was a shout behind Sylvain and he whirled around and readied his lance. Catherine came bursting into the room with Thunderbrand. “Is the intruder here?! Oh… Looks like you have this under control.” She turned to one of the knights that rushed in behind her and ordered him to check the bodies and gather any that still lived. She walked up to Byleth and raised a brow as she looked at Felix’s arm around her waist. Byleth pushed off of Felix and stood, but when she wavered again Dimitri and Felix both stepped in to hold one of her arms.

  
“What happened here?” Catherine crossed her arms and looked around at all of the bodies. 

  
Byleth answered, “We had a suspicion that breaking in here was the real intent of the enemies when they planted the assassination plot on Lonato. We came down here and saw all of the enemies and that mage…” she motioned to the body behind her “… was trying to break the seal on the casket. When he did he pulled out that sword…” she gestured to the sword and the color drained from her face “… he pulled that sword out. I took it from him and cut him down.” 

  
Dimitri shook his head from his spot beside Byleth. “The sword glowed at the Professor’s touch, not unlike Thunderbrand.” 

  
Catherine’s eyebrows rose to her hairline and she let out a low whistle. “Alright Byleth, you need to come with me to see Lady Rhea. She’ll want to hear about this immediately.” 

  
Byleth grimaced and stepped forward but Felix pulled her back with a growl. “Can’t you see she’s injured? She needs to see Manuela first.”

Byleth shook her head and put a hand on his arm. “I’ll be okay, Felix. You guys go to the infirmary if you need it and then head to the bath house. No classes tomorrow, you all need rest.” Felix still had a grip on her arm, not giving up, until Catherine stepped forward.

“I’ll help you get her to the second floor, kid. Lady Rhea can heal her when we get there.” Byleth grimaced again. _She’s really not fond of Rhea…_ Byleth wrapped one arm around Catherine’s shoulder and the other around Felix’s shoulders and they walked toward the exit. Dimitri whispered something to Dedue before stooping to wrap up the sword in his cloak and following them out.  
Everyone stood around for a long time and stared at each other. Ashe whispered, “Do you guys think the Professor has a Crest?” 

  
Mercedes shook her head and let out a sigh. “She looked just as shocked as the rest of us did when she looked at the sword… She almost looked scared of it.” 

  
Sylvain scoffed, “Of course she has a Crest…” without a look at anyone else he walked out the door.

  
Sylvain stalked the monastery grounds, still in his bloodied armor and holding onto his steel lance. It was late at night, so most of the students were already in for the night. Anyone who did see him gave him weird looks, but got out of his way quickly. He walked laps around the entire monastery, his thoughts consuming him as he pulled at his hair. 

  
_She has a Crest… All this time she’s been admired for her fighting skills when she had a Crest the whole time! She doesn’t have parents breathing down her neck to reproduce, or an arranged marriage she’s going to be forced into. No one has forced the idea of her noble duty to pass on her bloodline… she never had a brother that hated her just for existing. She's never had a brother that tried to kill her for something that wasn’t even her fault. She doesn’t have people that only like her for her blood. She is free… but I’m not… WHY?! Why can’t I be free like she is?!_

  
By the time he made it to the bath house, all of his classmates were already gone. After soaking for a while, he left the bath house. He watched as a lone figure crossed the grounds and walked into the room at the end of the dorms. _Byleth._

_Byleth has a Crest…. Why?_

  
The image of her in his arms, bright indigo eyes and pink lips that looked so soft, flashed before him. He groaned in frustration. _Why? Why? Why?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Sylvain... unfortunately I'm going to make your life a lot harder over the next couple chapters. I'm almost sorry but... ANGST.


	22. Chapter 22

~Byleth~

Felix and Catherine helped her all the way to the Audience Chamber. Dimitri held the weird sword that had pulsed in her hands, wrapped up in a cloak. It called to her, something in her chest responding to the feeling. Sothis was silent, but vigilant to everything that had happened since she first held that sword. It made Sothis sick to look at the sword for some reason. Byleth didn’t know if it was that, or taking one too many hits tonight, that was making her feel so nauseous and dizzy.

  
When they finally reached the second floor, Shamir was walking out with some knights escorting prisoners. They were wearing robes similar to the mages in the Holy Mausoleum. There must have been an attempt on Rhea’s life at the same time. 

  
“You look like shit.” Shamir looked her over with a critical eye. 

  
Byleth nodded and opened her mouth to respond but Catherine cut her off with a harsh tone. “She needs to see Lady Rhea right away. Kids, scram. I’ve got her from here.” Felix glared at Catherine before looking over at Byleth with a worried looked in his eyes. 

  
Byleth tried to give her soft smile as she said, “I’ll be alright, Felix. Go make sure everyone else is safe, you too Dimitri. And Felix, don’t think I didn’t notice your leg. You better get it looked at, don't make me come after you.” Dimitri and Felix both tried to protest but she cut them off with a sharp shake of her head. 

  
“Here is the sword, Professor.” Dimitri unwrapped it from his coat cautiously, handling it like it was precious. Byleth took off her ruined coat that had been burned in the fight and wrapped it before taking it from Dimitri. With final looks over their shoulders, they both walked down the stairs. 

  
“The brats really care about you.” Shamir smirked before waving as she walked after the knights. “Gotta go take care of the Western Church traitors. Good luck with Rhea.”

  
When Catherine and Byleth entered the Audience Chamber, Rhea and Seteth both turned and looked in surprise. “Byleth! What happened?” Rhea looked her over and began healing her wounds while Byleth reported about her suspicions on the note, the confrontation in the Holy Mausoleum, and the mage that had pulled out the sword. Rhea looked at the sword, still wrapped, with a sort of obsessive reverence that made Byleth feel uneasy. 

  
Catherine cleared her throat and stepped forward. “Lady Rhea, it was reported by the students that the sword glowed when the Professor wielded it against the mage.”

  
Seteth let out a strangled gasp, but Rhea didn’t seem surprised. With her eyes wide she took Byleth’s hand and stared. Without even glancing toward Catherine she dismissed her. Catherine bowed and grumbled quietly as she walked away.

  
“Can I see it, Byleth. Can I see you wield the sword?” Byleth withdrew her hand from between the Archbishops and unwrapped the sword. Seteth looked disgusted, before the look was replaced with his usual stern glare. As Byleth grasped the handle and lifted the sword, it began to glow. That same pulsing ran up her arm, the power seemed to flow into her still aching body.

  
Rhea clasped her hands together in front of her heart like she was praying and stared at Byleth with that same look of adoration and awe that she had the first day Byleth walked in. “I cannot thank you enough for defeating those invaders in the Holy Mausoleum, and especially for protecting the Sword of the Creator. That sword is one of the Heroes’ Relics, and the most precious artifact in the church’s possession. It is also a weapon of terrifying power. For now… I will entrust the sword to you. Please use it wisely.” _Wait… what?_

  
Seteth bristled visibly and stepped to Rhea’s side. “Lady Rhea wait! Do you truly mean to give the Sword of the Creator to this stranger?! Surely it is not the sort of thing one hands over so readily, even to someone who has the ability to wield it! If someone like Nemesis were to appear again, all of Fodlan would be consumed by war!” He sounded distressed, but it just made Byleth more confused.

  
“Nemesis?” 

  
Seteth scoffed like she was ridiculous before explaining. “Nemesis, the King of Liberation. He is an ancient king of mankind who was defeated by Saint Seiros over a thousand years ago. When Fodlan was attacked by wicked gods, it is said that the goddess gifted Nemesis with the Sword of the Creator. Nemesis used that sword to defeat the wicked gods, saving all of Fodlan. Henceforth he was dubbed the King of Liberation. However, his power began to corrupt him until he, himself, turned to the darkness. Saint Seiros was forced to destroy him. Lady Rhea, I beg of you to reconsider. Given a little more time, we could more accurately assess this stranger’s abilities.”

  
Rhea was still staring at Byleth as Byleth was trying to keep her face as impassive as possible. “No I have faith, Seteth. Faith that our friend here will not be corrupted by wickedness. Since the death of Nemesis, none have been able to wield the Sword of the Creator. Now after all those long years of being sealed away, it has returned and found a new master.”

  
Seteth slumped and lowered his head. “I… understand. As you wish Lady Rhea.” He bowed slightly and took a deep breath as his face slowly smoothed out. _He always forces himself to be so put together._ “There you have it, Professor. See that you do not betray the trust the archbishop has seen fit to bestow upon you.” Byleth bowed and rewrapped the sword in her burned coat. Without looking at either of them, she walked out of the Audience Chamber and rushed to her room.

  
As soon as she locked her door behind her Sothis appeared, pacing in the air over in the corner. **“The Sword of the Creator. The King of Liberation. Each tale is more confusing than the last! And I really can’t read that Rhea at all… The sword is clearly precious… so why is she so keen to gift the thing to you?”**

  
Byleth threw it down on the desk and unwrapped it. Sothis floated over and hovered above her as she stared at it. _“I have no idea… Seteth hated the idea. And did you see Rhea’s face? It was like I held a piece of the Goddess or something…”_ Byleth stroked the ridges of the sword lightly and it began to glow and pulse again.

  
**“I feel as though we have become entangled in a mystery…”** It came out as a solemn whisper that gave Byleth goosebumps. **“And there is one more thing that has been plaguing me. The Sword of the Creator… it somehow feels distinct from other Relics we have seen. Such as the one that Catherine wields. The Sword of the Creator is different from Thunderbrand in one key way. It bears a hole… where something should have been, but is no more.”** She floated down until her finger was poking through the large hole in the hilt.  
She groaned in frustration and crossed her arms. **“I despise not knowing what is going on! It… it frightens me. And yet… I place my trust in you. I must. Whatever comes to pass… please swear to cut a path that is your own.”** Byleth shook her head and turned toward Sothis who floated over to the bed. 

  
_“What do you think all of this means? Seteth said the last person who wielded this sword turned to darkness… will this sword change me?”_

  
Sothis floated toward her with a look of sympathy. **“I do not know…”**

  
Byleth shook her head and felt herself begin to tremble. _“I miss my father. Maybe he’ll know more about this. Maybe this is part of what he’s not telling me.”_

  
Byleth pulled out an extra blanket and wrapped the sword in it before tucking it under her bed. She stripped off her soiled armor and clothes and put on sleep clothes. She was still dirty from the battle, but the exhaustion had settled in after the adrenaline from the battle faded. She crawled into bed and instantly fell asleep.

  
She woke up in the late morning to a knock on her door. She stood and stumbled to the door, opening it to find a surly Felix. His eyes widened when he saw her and he pushed into her room and shut the door behind himself. “You look terrible.” His eyes were full of worry and it made her chest feel warm. “What happened with the Archbishop last night?” 

  
She walked over to the bed and fished out the cursed sword and motioned for him to sit on the bed. When he did so, she threw the sword in his lap and sat beside him. He unwrapped it and let out an audible gasp. “Is it true what they are saying…? Is it the Sword of the Creator?” 

  
Byleth furrowed her eyebrows and frowned. “Word gets out fast then…” 

  
His eyebrows shot to his hairline as he looked down at the sword. “And you can wield it? You have a Crest?” 

  
She reached her hand out and stroked it near the ridges and the sickening red glow encased the sword as it lay on Felix’s lap. “Are you scared of me now?” She hadn’t thought about it until this moment… but she was worried about what her students would think of her. They must all know what happened to Nemesis when he wielded the sword. Would they think less of her? Would they think she was going to turn into someone else, someone more evil than good? She was already the Ashen Demon, after all.

  
Felix scoffed and turned to her, grabbing the hilt of the sword and holding it out. “You have the ability to wield the most powerful sword in history. If I wasn’t already your friend, I’d be breaking down your door to spar with you right now.” 

  
Byleth threw her body back on the bed with a huff and covered her head with her pillow. “You don’t understand, Felix… this sword… it…” she couldn’t find a way to express the tight feeling in her chest, or the power she felt when she held the sword. She didn’t know how to tell him she was nervous about what he would think of her now, what anyone would think of her now. She had never cared how people felt around her before, but now the pressure in her chest felt like it was crushing her.

  
Felix grabbed the pillow off of her face and threw it back to the head of the bed. He lifted the sword off of his lap and placed it on the floor before sliding up the bed until his back was against the wall her bed was up against. He stared down at her from where he was sitting, searching her face for something. “What are you thinking?” She shut her eyes and clenched her fists, trying to sort through the feelings that were so new and terrifying for her. Felix flicked her forehead and she jolted. “Stop. Just tell me what you are thinking.” 

  
She looked at him wide eyed before scooting up to sit beside him. She stared down at her open hands on her lap and said, “Seteth told me about Nemesis…” Felix huffed beside her but didn’t say anything. “I’m already the Ashen Demon, Felix… and now I wield the sword that corrupted this King of Liberation. And when I hold it… when it glows… I feel this weird pulse…” She continued to stare at her hands as Felix sat beside her silently. “I don’t want you to be scared of me. I don’t want my students to be scared of me. Right now… I’m scared of me. Who am I?” She turned to Felix and he stared at her with a softness that made her dead heart flip in her chest.

  
“You are Byleth. You’ve always been Byleth, and as far as I’m concerned you always will be.” He stated it like nothing has ever been more true. The sky is blue, the sun rises in the east, Byleth is Byleth. Her chest felt warm and all she wanted in that moment was to be close to him. She laid her head on his shoulder and he stiffened just like last time, but then leaned his head onto hers. “You smell disgusting. I’m going to need to bathe again.” She let out a breathy giggle and then threw her hand over her mouth. _What was THAT?!_

  
Felix stiffened beneath her and lifted his head, scooting away to look at her. “I’ve never heard you… giggle… before.” His eyes were wider than normal and there was an odd look on his face.

  
She still had her hand over her mouth as she shook her head and said, “I don’t think I ever… have before.” 

  
Sothis laughed heartily in the back of her mind. **“It was a beautiful sound, dear one. The poor boy is smitten.”** Byleth shook her head quickly and Felix raised a brow in confusion. 

  
_“He’s my friend… it was surprising… stop doing that!”_ Sothis giggled but faded further into her mind so she could focus on Felix. 

  
“Byleth? What’s wrong?” Felix put a hand on each of her shoulders and furrowed his brow.

  
She suddenly realized that this was the first time she had been alone with Felix in… a long time. He was so close to her, she could feel his breath on her face, she could see how long his eyelashes were… how soft his lips look. They were sitting on her bed… in her room… Her conversation with Ingrid rang in the back of her mind. _I can’t ask him. If he didn’t want to tell me he probably has a reason… but… why? Why won’t he tell me about something that is obviously hurting him?_ It made her chest tighten to think that he didn’t want her to know something like that. Being alone together now was making her feel strangely nervous.

  
“I should go and bathe. You’re right, I smell awful.” She stood quickly and walked over to gather her bathing supplies and a change of clothes. 

  
When she turned back Felix was still sitting on the bed and he looked weirdly… sad. He was frowning and staring down at his hands with his shoulders drooping. “Right. I’ll let you go.” He stood and walked to the door, but with his hand on the doorknob he turned back to her. “You’re going to spar with me with the Sword of the Creator, right?” 

  
Byleth shook her head vehemently. “Hells no!” 

  
Felix crossed his arms and glared at her. “Why not?” 

  
Byleth sighed and looked him over. “You know your glare doesn’t work on me, Felix. I’m not going to spar you with a RELIC. I don’t even know what it’s capable of.” Felix continued to glare at her and she crossed her arms and glared right back. 

  
After a few moments he scoffed and threw his hands up. “Fine. But I want to watch you train with it.” 

  
Byleth tilted her head to her fist and stared at him. “Fine. But you’ll stand far away to be safe.” 

  
Felix smirked and rolled his eyes. “Deal.” Without another word he left.

When she got back from the bath house, Dimitri was standing at her door knocking. “Dimitri…?” 

  
Dimitri spun around and blushed as he looked her over. “Ah! Professor! I’ve been sent to fetch you. Lady Rhea and Seteth need to speak with us.” 

  
Byleth nodded toward her door. “Alright, let me put my stuff inside and we can go.”

  
“How are you recovering from last night, Professor?” Byleth nodded as they walked toward the Audience Chamber. 

  
“I’m fine, Rhea was able to heal me last night as I was giving the report.” Dimitri nodded and seemed to fidget beside her. His hands clenched and unclenched and he kept looking toward her and then looking away. “Did you want to ask me something, Dimitri?” 

  
He blushed and stammered. “Well… yes Professor. I was just wondering if that sword from last night was indeed the Sword of the Creator?” Byleth nodded and Dimitri gasped. “I can’t believe it. There are many myths about the Sword of the Creator. It is said it had the power to cleave a mountain in two! And you have the compatible Crest?” 

  
Byleth hummed in acknowledgement. “It would seem so.” 

  
Dimitri stared at her with his eyes wide. “Do you know what the Archbishop plans to do with the sword?” 

  
Byleth sighed and her shoulders drooped. “Lady Rhea has entrusted the sword to me.” 

  
Dimitri smiled and continued staring at her. “I knew you were extraordinary… but this… this is beyond anything I could have imagined.”

  
Byleth stopped outside the doors to the Audience Chamber and grabbed Dimitri’s arm. “I.. Dimitri I…” 

  
Dimitri placed a hand on her shoulder and bent down a little so he was looking in her eye as she stared at her shoes. “Professor, the Lions and I—we will be here for you, always. I’m sure it all feels rather… intimidating… but we will be here. I will be here, I swear it.” Byleth felt a warmth in her chest that traveled through her body. My lions will be here. 

  
“Alright. Let’s see what Rhea wants.”

Rhea had her same soft smile, and Seteth had his same glare painted across his face. Dimitri stiffened beside her until she put a light hand on his arm. Whether he was intimidated himself or upset that the glare was directed at her, she could not know. Rhea looked down at her hip where a steel sword hung and her smile fell slightly. “I see you are not carrying the Sword of the Creator, Professor.” 

  
Byleth nodded with a small bow. “I am honored to be granted the sword, unfortunately without having a chance to train with it I wouldn’t want to have to use it in any type of emergency.”   
Rhea nodded her head and the smile crept back onto her face. “Well you will need to take the time to train with it, you will need it for your next assignment. I would like you to take your students into Kingdom territory to eliminate some thieves.” 

  
Dimitri stiffened beside her and she felt sympathetic. She knew he was having a hard time hearing about the hardships of his people when he can’t do anything about it until he takes the throne after graduation. _It's still so weird that I’m standing next to the next King of Faerghus… he’s just the sweet and kind young man that always looks out for everyone. He’s just Dimitri._

  
Seteth stepped forward and grimly said, “They stole a Hero’s Relic from House Gautier of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus--- The Lance of Ruin. Their leader’s name is Miklan. He is apparently a disowned son of House Gautier.” 

  
_Shit._ Dimitri let out an audible gasp as anger swelled in Byleth’s chest. Probably summoned by the strong emotion, Sothis appeared in front of her. Her arms were crossed and she looked as angry as Byleth actually WANTED to look right now.

  
Taking a deep breath to keep her voice even she said, “I have a history with Miklan. He attempted to kill his brother, Sylvain when he was young and I fought him off to save Sylvain. I’ll go and retrieve the Lance, but my class should stay here. Miklan is a dangerous man, I don’t want anyone to be harmed by that monster.” Seteth had a look of understanding on his face, probably putting the pieces together from that first day, but Rhea was giving her that icy stare she used when Byleth had questioned sending them to confront Lonato. Dimitri was beginning to protest not being sent when Rhea lifted a hand.

  
“The Crestless cannot unleash the goddess’s power, even if they possess a Relic. Nonetheless, they are still capable of simply wielding those weapons. You will need your students to help confront him, Byleth.” That dread feeling began to trickle into her chest. Miklan would be no problem for her, but now he had a whole group with him. 

  
And Sylvain…. _Oh Sylvain…_

  
Sothis’ face softened and she turned to Byleth. **“Maybe it is the boy’s fate… maybe it will put his mind at ease for his brother to finally be gone.”**

  
Byleth thought of all the anger that she had faced when she first got here. _“No… he still thinks of him as a brother. I think this may destroy him.”_

  
“Please Rhea, send me with Shamir and Catherine! Or my father! I’ll take our mercenaries and I’ll take him out and return the lance…” 

  
Rhea cut her off with a roaring yell that shocked even Seteth. “ENOUGH! You will take your students and a knight, Sir Gilbert, with you. This is a command Professor, not a request.” 

  
Seteth’s face was grave as he turned toward her. “You wield the Sword of the Creator, which is more than capable of opposing any Relic. Your students will be fine.” 

  
The rage was gone, that dread feeling had taken root at the thought of having to tell Sylvain what was to come. Ashe’s sobs from the prior month were ringing in her ears. “Seteth… I haven’t had an opportunity to learn how to fight with it, I can’t bring it into battle with students...” Seteth looked sympathetic, but Rhea looked angry.

  
“You will do this, Byleth. You are both excused.”

  
As they turned to walk out Seteth called, “Also you should know that Hanneman was looking for you, Professor.” She turned to give him a short nod and then hurried out of the Audience Chamber. When the doors shut behind them, Dimitri pulled her into a nearby corner away from the doors. 

  
“Are you alright, Professor? I’ve never seen such… emotion… on your face.” Byleth took a deep breath and tried to keep her face impassive. 

  
“I…” 

  
She was cut off by a loud male voice shouting “Your Highness! Ahhh! It’s been ages!” Dimitri’s face split in the biggest grin Byleth had ever seen on him as he turned his back to her. Byleth took a few steadying breaths, trying to be ready to face the new stranger. 

  
“It’s been a long time! Two years, if I’m not mistaken.” 

  
“Indeed, Your Highness. You’ve grown so much in those years. I hardly recognize you….” Byleth stepped out from beside Dimitri and a small smile graced her lips as she saw the stranger was actually Lord Rodrigue. “Wait… Byleth?!” Lord Rodrigue immediately grabbed her arms and looked her over. “What are you doing here?!” 

  
Dimitri chuckled and said, “She is our professor, Rodrigue!” 

  
A tight feeling that made her eyes burn crashed through her. _“Sothis… what is this…_

  
Sothis hummed in the back of her mind, having vanished as they left the Audience Chamber. **“I think you feel hurt.”**

  
Byleth placed a hand over her chest and softly asked, “Did Felix not tell you?” 

  
Rodrigue’s face was full of sorrow as he looked at her. “He told me that an ex-mercenary that is very skilled was his new teacher when last I wrote, but he did not mention your name.” He shook his head and groaned before focusing back on her. “But tell me how this came to be! When I saw you five years ago you were still traveling with Jeralt!” 

  
Dimitri stepped forward and excitedly told him about the night outside Remire Village with the bandits when she had saved the house leaders. Rodrigue listened with an amused smile as he watched Dimitri while casting occasional awed glances at her. “She has also awakened the Sword of the Creator, Rodrigue!”

  
Rodrigue grabbed her arms again and stared at her. “I always knew you were extraordinary… but this is…” He sighed and smiled softly. “The Goddess has placed you in our lives. Of that I am certain. I can’t believe Felix never told me… I imagine he must be beyond thrilled to have you around again. All Glenn, my wife, and I heard about that first year was you. He went on and on about how much stronger he would become so he could impress you when he finally saw you again.” He chuckled softly and stared off into the distance. “He kept asking me to hire you so he could see you again, but after the Tragedy…” Sorrow suddenly crossed his face again and Byleth took her arms away to hug him around his waist. He stiffened and then laughed softly as he patted her back.  
She stepped back and looked up at him. “I’m sorry… was that not allowed? I’m still learning what to do when people are distressed…” 

  
Rodrigue smiled softly and place a hand on her shoulder. “I appreciate it, Byleth.”

  
Dimitri stepped forward with a clearing of his throat. “What brings you to the monastery, Rodrigue? Is it the thieves plaguing the Kingdom?” 

  
Rodrigue took a step back and faced his prince. “I’m afraid so, Your Highness. This is not merely a problem for House Gautier, but for everyone. The thieves have set up their headquarters in Fraldarius territory, and are mercilessly pillaging the villages of that area. They say that Miklan is burning down their homes and abducting women. The reports have all been rather distressing.” 

  
Byleth looked down at her shoes as she said, “We are being sent to take out Miklan and retrieve the Lance of Ruin.”

  
Rodrigue’s voice was full of surprise as he looked at both of them. “The archbishop is sending students to retrieve the Relic?” 

  
Dimitri rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, probably remembering the heated conversation she had just had with Rhea on that very topic. “I’ve heard a large portion of the knights were sent to pass judgement on the Western Church and those that were involved in the attacks last night.” 

  
Rodrigue sighed deeply and looked at Byleth. “Poor Sylvain… I know that you can handle Miklan. After all, you did it rather well all those years ago. I hear the leader of the bandits has a nasty scar across his face. It seems you left him something to remember you by.”

  
The rage spiked in her chest again. Miklan’s face as he had choked Sylvain that morning, all those years ago, in the Margrave’s study flashed before her. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. “He won’t get away with hurting Sylvain this time. I’ll make sure of that. I’m just sorry I have to drag Sylvain into this. Speaking of… I should go and find him. I want to inform him before word gets out around the monastery.” 

  
Dimitri placed a hand on her arm and a sad smile crossed his face. “Would you like me to be there with you, Professor. Sylvain might not react well… we all remember your first day.” 

  
Byleth sighed but shook her head. “No, you stay and catch up with Lord Rodrigue. I can handle Sylvain.”

  
Rodrigue looked between them with interest before chuckling. “Thank you for helping again, Byleth. It seems you have the Kingdom thoroughly in your debt.” His smile was amused and she couldn’t help but smile softly at him as she waved goodbye.

  
“We’ll have to grab a meal or take tea later. I just received a beautiful tea set as a gift from a student, though I’m not the best at preparing it yet. Either way, I would love to catch up, Lord Rodrigue.” He smiled and waved as she turned to the stairs.

  
She wasn’t sure where to find Sylvain at this hour, it wasn’t quite dinner at the dining hall yet. She walked toward the second-floor dormitories to see if he was in his room. She walked all the way to the end of the dorms and knocked on the last door, Sylvain’s door. There was shuffling inside and the door opened a crack to reveal an amber eye. _Felix._ He threw the door open, looked down the hall quickly, and pulled her inside without a word.

  
She raised a brow at him in confusion. He took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his disheveled hair. “I’m hiding out in here. Apparently my old man is here.” The hurt she felt earlier twisted like a knife to the gut. 

  
“Why didn’t you tell your father I am your Professor?” Her voice was colder than she thought it would be when she asked him.

  
Felix looked confused before he let out a defeated sigh. He mumbled under his breath, “You already saw him, of course you did.” 

  
Hurt turned into anger at his lack of answer. “Why didn’t you tell your father? Why didn’t you tell me about Glenn?!” Her voice was louder than it needed to be and her voice cracked when she said Glenn. 

  
Felix looked like she had smacked him until the look turned into his usual glare. “What did the old man say to you?” 

  
Byleth took a step back and crossed her arms. “It wasn’t your father, Ingrid told me after I asked her how he was doing, like an idiot.” 

  
He scoffed and spat out, “Of course she did.” 

  
Byleth’s throat began to burn and the words felt like gravel as they left her throat. “I thought we were friends. I thought you were happy I was here… but you weren’t even happy enough to tell your father I was here. You don’t even trust me enough to tell me you are hurting because your brother is gone.” 

  
Felix glared at her and growled, “He’s dead. Just say he’s dead.” 

  
Byleth’s vision was blurring and she wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. The tears formed but would not fall. “I thought…” she shook her head and sighed. “I never should have come here. I should have run away when I had the chance.” Felix’s face softened and he tried to reach out to her but she dodged out of the way. “Do you know where Sylvain is? I have to go and ruin his life. I don’t have time for this.” 

  
Felix looked confused as he muttered, “I think he was going to the knight’s hall.” Without another word she walked out of the room. She did not stop when Felix called out to her, the pain got worse when she heard him shut the door behind him. 

  
_“Young Felix would have come after me. He would have held my hand and told me everything.”_ There was a lump in her throat as she walked toward the knight’s hall. 

  
**“I’m sorry you are hurt dear one.”**

  
_“I never should have let myself get here in the first place. I’m the Ashen Demon. The Ashen Demon doesn’t have friends… The Ashen Demon doesn’t feel hurt. I miss not feeling hurt. The emptiness was better than this.”_

  
She grunted in frustration and walked toward the Knight’s Hall.

_Sylvain is never going to forgive me for this._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Rodrigue and Jeralt over drinks***
> 
> Rodrigue : "So... your daughter hugged me today. Is she doing that more often now?
> 
> Jeralt: *Spit takes* She did WHAT NOW?! 
> 
> Really he just wants a hug too.
> 
> I'm so excited for post time skip Rodrigue and Byleth interactions... so many ideas. So much softness.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Potential trigger warning. Sylvain falls into a depressive episode at the end of the chapter. It's going to last for the next several chapters as Felix and Byleth try to help him out of it. Take care of your mental health. And sorry.

~Sylvain~

Sylvain was sitting in the knight’s hall, watching the flames dance in the fireplace. He hadn’t slept well last night with so much going on in his brain. Thinking of how that sword had glowed in Byleth’s hand, the look on her face when she dropped it. _Did she know she had a crest? Did she keep it from us? How long has she known?_ The flames danced before him, mirroring the chaos in his mind and heart.

  
His musings were interrupted by the very person his thoughts were fixated on. If he hadn’t been so wrapped up in his own feelings, he would have been alarmed at the amount of expression on her face. Her face was pale, her shoulders were tense, and her fists were clenched. The people in the knight’s hall weren’t paying either of them any mind as she stepped in front of him, blocking his view of the fire.

  
Without looking up at her he said in a sing-song voice, “Well… if it isn’t our resident Crest bearing professor. How’s the fame treating you? All anyone can talk about is the professor who can wield the famed Sword of the Creator. I bet you are feeling pretty good about yourself.” He wouldn’t lift his eyes to see her face, his gaze was fixated on her corset right in front of him. She shuffled from one foot to the other nervously, over what he did not know. “So… tell me. Did you know you had a Crest this whole time? Did you know when we met?” He looked up to glare at her and saw her eyebrows were furrowed. She seemed confused by his anger, but it grew more intense at the innocent look on her face.

  
“I didn’t know. My father never told me anything.” She wrung her hands and looked him over with something that looked like concern. 

  
He chuckled darkly and leaned back on the lounger he was sitting on. “I suppose a mercenary has no need to worry over such things, right?” She shook her head and sat down beside him, but he shifted further away, trying to avoid her touch even as part of him craved it. 

  
“You have a Crest, right? What was your experience?” 

  
He looked at her in shock before his anger flared again. “You’re joking right?” 

  
She shook her head and nibbled at her bottom lip. “I’d like to hear how you feel about it. Something about the fact that I have a Crest is obviously upsetting you.” 

  
Sylvain scoffed and crossed his arms defensively, turning to stare into the fire rather than into large indigo eyes. “Most children who are born to noble families are tested at birth. Even descendants of the 10 Elite’s, like myself, can’t be legitimate heirs unless they bear a Crest. Why do you think Miklan hated me so much? Children are only fully accepted if they have a damned Crest. He wasn’t, but I was, and he hated me for it. People seek you out because of a fluke in your blood. You asked me if I thought that people really didn’t like me… but I know they don’t. They see me as a way to gain prestige, a way to gain footing with the nobility… as a studhorse.” 

  
She tried to rest a hand on his shoulder but he shrugged it off. “Sylvain, that’s just cynical. You are a handsome and kind person, especially when you allow others to see who you really are.” 

  
He scoffed and turned to glare at her. “Perhaps, but that doesn’t change the fact that these people don’t love me, they love the potential rewards of loving me.” He groaned and ran a hand through his hair in his frustration. “If I marry a girl and she gives birth to a child with a Crest, that kid might become the next heir to House Gautier. But nowadays, with the bloodlines getting weaker, there are lots of kids born like my brother… born with no hope. For ages now, those with Crests have been envied and desired, but not for who we are. I understand the value of my blood. Believe me, I hate how much I understand it. I know better than to believe I could be free from this burden, I’m used to it by now. I used to think I didn’t have the right to live freely…”

  
Byleth took a deep breath and said, “You don’t think that way anymore?” Byleth’s face was so open and inviting it made something in his stomach twist. 

  
He chuckled darkly and leaned closer to her. “You know what? I can’t get over how… JEALOUS I am. The whole time you were growing up you didn’t know you had a Crest. You were free. No one pretended to like you. I kind of hate you for that…” She recoiled and scooted toward the other end of the lounger, but he followed her. She was backed up against the arm of the lounger when he said, “You are a spoiled brat who should pay for that Crest. Maybe I’ll collect the debt.”

  
Her face went blank so fast he would have missed it if he hadn’t been staring right at her. She stood and put a hand on her dagger in her belt. He realized now that this is what she looked like every time they headed into battle, but this time it wasn’t because of an enemy… it was because of him. _Or I am the enemy in her eyes. I did just threaten her. I’m no better than Hubert now._

  
She whispered so low he almost didn’t hear it. “You think you can threaten me? After everything?” 

  
Her hand still laid on her dagger as she looked him over coldly. “I came to inform you that Miklan stole the Lance of Ruin. He’s terrorizing villagers in Fraldarius territory with it. I wanted to be the one to tell you, since we both know how fast word gets around this place.” 

  
He could feel the blood drain from his face as he stared up at her. _Miklan… my brother… he’s back._

  
She leaned down and got close to his face, he tried to move away but couldn’t when he hit the back of the lounger. “Lady Rhea has tasked us with going to get the Lance of Ruin back. I tried to get her to send only me, but she wouldn’t allow it.” Her voice dropped lower as he squirmed beneath her. “I wanted to spare you from having to confront him… but it seems I can’t.” 

  
She finally stepped back and stood up straight, giving him space to finally breathe. The knights and students around them continued what they were doing, oblivious to the fact that he had just threatened his professor’s life and then heard news that was making him spiral out of control. Byleth crossed her arms as her face began to soften. “I never wanted to be your friend because of some stupid Crest. I didn’t even know what that was until I came here. I just wanted to be close to the beautiful boy that had eyes the color of the caramel candies my father used to buy me…” Her eyes started to glisten as she frowned. “It seems that Felix only wishes for me to be a whetstone he can sharpen his blade on, and you want to hate me for something that isn’t my fault. I never should have come here.” She turned on her heel and left the room.

  
_I hate her for something that isn’t even her fault… I’m no better than Miklan._ The thought hit him like a blow to the stomach, sucking the air from his lungs. He sat there frozen for the longest time, thinking about what confronting Miklan would mean. _Do I want her to kill him? Will I feel better if she does? Am I even strong enough to face him on my own?_

  
He stood slowly and his feet began to take him back to his room. His limbs didn't feel like his own anymore. They were heavy and sluggish, moving on their own as his thoughts continued to spiral into the darkest parts of his psyche. He opened the door to find a pacing Felix. Felix turned sharply as he entered. “Syl, I fucked up. I don’t know what to… Syl…? Sylvain what’s wrong?” 

  
Sylvain laid down on his bed and faced the wall so Felix couldn’t see his face. “Byleth just told me Miklan stole the Lance of Ruin. He’s using it to terrorize villagers in your dad’s territory. That’s probably why your dad is here.” 

  
Felix sat down on the bed behind him and let out a heavy sigh. “Did the old man tell Byleth that?”

  
Sylvain stared at the wall for a while without answering, looking for the words to say. “No. Lady Rhea has tasked us with going to get it back. Byleth told me she tried to get sent on her own, but the Archbishop wouldn’t allow it.” 

  
Felix scoffed and put a hand on his shoulder. “She’s going to kill him. He doesn’t even know what’s coming for him.” Sylvain stiffened and Felix took his hand away. “Syl… what’s wrong?” 

  
Sylvain said nothing. _Everything is wrong. She’s going to kill Miklan, my brother. My brother who hurt me my entire life and even tried to kill me, but he’s still my brother. She’s going to kill him for everything he’s done to me, even though I hate her. I hate her for something that isn’t her fault, and that makes me no better than Miklan. I'm a monster, just like he is._ His thoughts continued spiraling as he stared at the wall. 

  
Felix sighed and stood a couple minutes later. “I’ll leave you alone for a while. Let me know if you need anything.” Felix stood there for a while, but Sylvain couldn’t find the will or the energy to say anything. He left without another word.

  
Sylvain stared at the wall as the pressure settled over his body. He was suddenly so very tired.  


~Felix~

_Well… you’ve fucked up, Fraldarius._

  
By this point his bun no longer existed from how many times he had run his hands through his hair. _What should I do? What should I do? What should I do?_ His instincts told him to go and spend the next several hours in the training grounds, hitting things until life made sense again, but the old man would definitely find him there. Another part of him wanted to go and try to find Byleth and try to apologize. Her face when she had left had been worse than a knife to the gut. _Okay… maybe not worse... but I’ve definitely messed that up._ He considered that he should probably also do something about Sylvain. His eyes just now reminded him of that day after Miklan left him in the well, empty and lifeless. It was terrifying. He decided to brave going to look for Byleth. He could talk to her and try to make things better, and then ask her for help with Sylvain. Or maybe Ingrid could help, definitely not the boar… and he would have to try and avoid the old man.

Ingrid spotted him while he was walking toward Byleth’s room. “Felix! What are you doing? Your father has been looking everywhere for you. This is a valuable opportunity to see your family. You need to go see him.” 

  
Felix crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. “No, I don’t. Have you seen the Professor?” 

  
Ingrid huffed and stomped her foot like a child. “Felix… why won’t you go see your father?” 

  
“Ingrid. It’s between me and my old man. Now have you seen the Professor or not?” 

  
Ingrid frowned and shook her head. “I saw her for a little bit in the dining hall. She was pretty upset about something and she left quickly… wait. Please don’t tell me you have something to do with her being upset.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed heavily. 

  
“She just found out that we have to go and hunt down Miklan for this month’s mission. He stole the Lance of Ruin and is terrorizing the villages in Fraldarius territory. Sylvain really didn’t take it well. I’m trying to find Byl… the Professor… to see if she can help. Do you think you could try to talk to Sylvain?”

  
Ingrid looked concerned and a little bit scared. “Is he really angry again? Did he hurt someone?”

  
Felix shook his head and stared at the ground. “No, not that I know of. It’s like that first day after the Miklan incident. It’s… not normal idiot Sylvain.” Ingrid's lips were set in a thin line as she nodded before walking toward the dorm.

  
_Okay. Ingrid will take care of Sylvain, now I have to find Byleth._ He checked her room, but if she was in there, she didn’t answer his knock. He checked in the training grounds but only found the Boar and his lapdog. “Hey! Have you guys seen the Professor anywhere?” 

  
The boar shook his head and looked thoughtful for a moment. “Not since our meeting with the Archbishop this morning. She was rather… stressed... about telling Sylvain about this month’s mission.”

  
Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “Yeah, well he didn’t take it well. I’m trying to find her to see if she can help.” 

  
Dimitri furrowed his brows and put his hand on his chin. “I think Jeralt got back from a mission this morning, maybe she went to talk to him? Will Sylvain be alright?” 

  
“I don’t know, Boar. He has to go and hunt his asshole brother. Would you be alright? Now I have to go find the Professor. If you see her, tell her I’m looking for her.” 

  
As he walked toward the door the boar screamed after him, “Rodrigue is still looking for you by the way!” He flipped him off without turning back.

  
Felix headed up to the second floor. He crested the stairs and made sure the old man wasn’t in the hallway before reaching the open door of Jeralt’s office. 

  
“What else haven’t you told me, Jeralt? Do you understand how scary all of this is? On top of everything that is happening with my students? We never should have come here. We should have run to Almyra when we had a chance. I don’t like any of this!” Panic seized him again at the thought of her leaving. _Would she really go? Would she really just leave us? Would she really just leave me?_

  
Jeralt’s voice was strained and quiet. “Kid, you’ve gotta calm down. I’ve never seen you this worked up before. I don’t know what Rhea has planned but…” As Felix was trying to listen his boot scraped on the floor. Jeralt walked around the corner and spotted him. “What do you want, Fraldarius?” 

  
Felix wasn’t normally scared of anyone, but the Blade Breaker could definitely kill him with a flick of his wrist and was easily double his size. Felix cleared his throat and crossed his arms to mirror Jeralt’s stance. “I was looking for Byleth. I heard you talking, and I didn’t want to interrupt. 

  
Byleth walked out and stood behind her father. “What do you want, Fraldarius.” He winced at the use of his last name. _How did we get from a first giggle to this in one day? The old man just ruins everything doesn’t he? No… this one is on you._

  
“Byleth… I really need to talk to you.” She waved her hand for him to proceed but he shook his head. “I really need to talk to you… not here.” 

  
Jeralt glared at him before looking back at Byleth. “Want me to get rid of him?” 

  
Byleth shook her head and put a hand on his arm. “Can you have dinner with me tonight? This is the first time I’ve seen you in too long. We need to talk more about this.” 

  
Jeralt’s eyes crinkled and he gave a small smile similar to Byleth’s. “Sure kid. What if we go to town and hit the tavern? I need a drink if we are going to talk more about this.” He motioned toward the Sword of the Creator that was now strapped to her side. She nodded and then walked up to Felix. 

  
“Let’s go to my room.” She still had a frown on her face and a furrow in her brow. _At least she didn’t let Jeralt come after me… I want to spar, not die._

  
The walk to her room was stalled a handful of times by various people that wanted to talk to her or look at the Sword of the Creator. She was tense and curt with everyone who stopped them, her shoulders were tense and her fists were clenched. Felix saw the downside to the powerful weapon now. She had been freaking out about it this morning, and now he felt bad about being more excited about the sword than anything else. 

They walked in and she closed and locked the door behind her. She sat on the bed and motioned for him to take a seat on the desk chair. It felt like it was ten steps back from their talk this morning, and all Felix wanted to do was go and train in order to not have this conversation.

  
Felix grunted and crossed his arms. Without looking at her he said, “Look. I owe you an apology.” 

  
Byleth sighed and took the Sword of the Creator off of her hip. “No, you don’t Felix. It’s fine. I just had the wrong idea, but I understand now.” 

  
Felix looked up at her and raised his eyebrow. “You understand what?” 

  
She looked at him quizzically and crossed her arms. “I understand that I’m your teacher, not your friend. I’m here to help you get stronger, not to talk to you about your problems. I’m just the Ashen Demon, what do I know about any of this?” She gestured her arm toward him and he felt like she had punched him. 

  
“But… you are my friend. I was an idiot. I should have told the old man you were my teacher and I should have told you about Glenn. I didn’t tell the old man because… well I didn’t want him coming down here. And I didn’t tell you about Glenn because…” He paused and swallowed around the lump in his throat. 

  
She stood up after a moment of silence and brushed some hair off of forehead where it was all spilling out of his bun. He grunted and pulled out the hair tie, letting all of his hair fall. She took his hand and pulled him toward the bed so they could sit against the wall like they had that morning. It felt like she was letting him back in way too easily, but he wasn’t going to complain. She played with his hair a little bit and he leaned into her hand, enjoying the feeling.

  
He cleared his throat and prayed to the goddess that he could keep his voice steady. “Glenn was my best friend. Don’t get me wrong, he drove me nuts most of the time… but I really looked up to him. He was everything I wanted to be when I grew up. He died in Duscar… protecting the prince. All that came back was a destroyed piece of armor and his sword.” She placed a hand on his cheek and turned his face toward her. She was frowning and looked so worried that the lump in his throat got impossible to breathe around. 

  
He cleared his throat again. “All the old man said when they brought in his armor was, “He died like a true knight.” Like he didn’t just lose a son and I didn’t lose my brother.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and he buried his face in her crook of her neck. “When everyone looks at me, all they see is Glenn. I don’t want to be like him anymore. I don’t want to die for some sick sense of honor or chivalry. I have no desire to die for the animal that came back from Duscur instead of Dimitri."

  
She scratched his scalp lightly as he tried to keep it together. He hadn’t cried since the Tragedy, he wasn’t going to cry into her shoulder now. He wrapped his arms around her waist and tried to focus on her warmth there beside him. 

  
She pushed away slightly and looked into his eyes. In this light her eyes looked bright blue. “I’ve been worried about you ever since I got here. I thought something was wrong, but then after your father told me you hadn’t told him about me… I thought maybe you just didn’t care for me like you used to. You haven’t called me By since I got here, and you don’t act like you used too. I didn’t realize you had been through so much. I’m sorry.”

  
He cupped her cheek and she leaned her head into it. “No… I should have told you." He growled, frustrated with is lack of ability to make her see she mattered to him. "I’m just not good at this stuff anymore.” 

  
She giggled softly like she did this morning and Felix’s heart flipped inside his chest. “That makes two of us then.” Her eyes were crinkled and she had her same soft smile. She was so close, he could just lean forward and… _NO._

  
“I need to talk to you about Sylvain.” He grabbed his hair tie and put his hair back into a bun and crossed his arms. 

  
A flash of something he couldn’t identify crossed her face before she frowned and said, “What do we need to talk about.” 

  
He scooted off the bed and stood in the middle of the room. Being on the bed with her was just too much for him right now. “He’s in bad shape. It’s like that first day when Miklan tried to kill him all over again. I didn’t know what to do then… and I don’t know what to do now.” 

  
Byleth scoffed and crossed her arms. “I’m sorry Felix, I don’t think I’ll be able to help with that one… as much as I would like to.” 

  
Felix raised an eyebrow at her. “What in the hells is that supposed to mean?” 

  
She frowned and looked down at her knees. “Sylvain is not fond of me, I thought he was for a moment but…” She crossed her arms and bit her lip. 

  
“What’s THAT supposed to mean?” _Did he do something? If he hurt her or pulled a move on her I’m gonna KILL him!_

  
She shook her head. “It’s nothing. I don’t know if he would respond if I did anything. If anything… it would probably just make him angry.” 

  
Felix groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Honestly, anger would be better than what’s going on right now.”

  
She tilted her head in confusion and he sighed. “We should go pick up a tray of food and take it up to him. Maybe I’m wrong. Let’s hope I’m wrong.” 

  
They grabbed a tray of food and headed to the second floor dorms. At the very end, Ingrid was pacing in front of Sylvain’s door. “Oh, thank the goddess you guys are here. He won’t respond to anything I say! I didn’t know what to do! Is he sick?” 

  
Byleth’s face was suddenly stern and she brushed past them and walked into Sylvain’s now dark room. “Ingrid, stand out here and keep watch for us, okay? Don’t let anyone disturb us for a while.” Ingrid nodded hesitantly and turned her back to the door as Felix closed it behind them.

  
Byleth tiptoed into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. “Sylvain, it’s Byleth. We brought you some food, would you like some?” Sylvain didn’t move and didn’t say anything. She stroked his hair and he moved away slightly but she followed with her hand. She glanced over her shoulder at him, looking for help, and Felix shook his head. 

  
“Syl? You wanna eat this and go train with me?” Sylvain was facing the wall, so Felix couldn’t see his face but he looked like he was asleep. 

  
Byleth frowned as she watched Sylvain, she pulled off her boots and crawled over him so he was facing her. She continued to stroke his hair and softly said, “Sylvain… can you talk to me?” Sylvain mumbled something that Felix couldn’t understand.

  
Byleth glanced up at Felix and frowned before laying down beside Sylvain. Felix growled, “What do you think you’re doing?!” Byleth raised her head and motioned to Sylvain’s other side. Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “I’m not doing that. This is weird.” 

  
Sylvain mumbled something and Byleth leaned closer to try to hear what he said. She stroked his hair and whispered, “It’s going to be okay, Sylvain. I’m going to make sure you don’t get hurt again, I promise.” Felix felt rage burn in his chest. Sylvain hadn’t seen Miklan in YEARS and Miklan still had the ability to do this to him. Felix clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, he wanted to leave the monastery now and go and hunt down that piece of shit and kill him so Sylvain would be alright. Byleth began to hum softly and all the rage left him.

  
Sylvain scooted closer to Byleth and wrapped an arm around her waist as she stroked his hair and hummed. Something in Felix’s chest shattered watching them. He sighed and leaned down to take off his boots before laying down beside Sylvain. Byleth lifted her head slightly and smiled softly at him before nuzzling into Sylvain. Felix moved closer to Sylvain so he wouldn’t fall off the bed. _And also because it feels good to be beside Sylvain like this again, and you know it._

  
Byleth began to sing as she stroked Sylvain’s hair. 

**_I look to you_ **

**_Like a red rose_ **

**_Seeking the sun_ **

**_No matter where it goes_ **

**_I long to stay_ **

**_Where the light dwells_ **

**_To guard against the cold_ **

**_That I know so well_ **

**_As the rain falls on the path_ **

**_I chase your shadow_ **

**_I don't feel a single drop_ **

**_Or the ground below_ **

**_Then you turn to me and I_ **

**_Stop before I know_ **

**_And the lie that's on my lips_ **

**_I let it go_ **

**_My dearest wish_ **

**_Is that you'll know_ **

**_These tender thoughts_ **

**_That only seem to grow_ **

**_They are as snow_ **

**_Melting away_ **

**_Yet seeking your warmth_ **

**_If only for a day_ **

**_Open the door_ **

**_And walk away_ **

**_Never give in_ **

**_To the call of yesterday_ **

**_Reach for my hand_ **

**_I'll soar away_ **

**_Into the dawn_ **

**_Oh, I wish I could stay_ **

**_Here in cherished halls_ **

**_In peaceful days_ **

**_I fear the edge of dawn_ **

**_Knowing time betrays_ **

Sylvain’s body began to shake. Byleth continued to hum as Sylvain moved further toward her, before reaching back and pulling Felix closer. Felix looped an arm around him and whispered. “It’s okay Syl. We’re right here. We aren’t going to let anything happen to you.”

  
Sylvain started to sob into Byleth’s chest, his body trembled with each cry. It got so loud that Ingrid opened the door. A crack of light spilled across them as she peaked inside before Byleth lifted her head and said, “He’ll be alright, Ingrid. You can go now. Thank you for standing guard for me.” Felix couldn’t see Ingrid because he was facing Sylvain but he could hear her sniffle before shutting the door and her footsteps slowly echoed down the hall. Byleth began to hum softly again and Felix could see her hand still smoothing Sylvain’s hair.

  
After all the stress of the last couple days, the warmth of the bed was too much for him. Before he knew it, Felix drifted off to the sound of Byleth humming and Sylvain softly breathing.

  
He woke with the dawn the next morning. Sylvain had turned toward him sometime in the night and Felix opened his eyes to messy bright red hair and Sylvain’s peaceful face. Warmth filled his chest as he looked over Sylvain’s face. His nose was still a bit red from crying, and his eyes were a bit puffy. Felix prayed to the goddess he wasn't sure if he believed in, that he would be alright. He tried to get up quietly, but as soon as he moved Sylvain stirred.

  
Felix watched as Sylvain slowly opened his eyes. A lot of emotions passed over his features... confusion, happiness, then sorrow. All of the emotions were wiped away as Sylvain ran a hand through his hair and put on his bullshit nonchalant grin, trying to act like he hadn’t sobbed into Byleth’s chest the night before. Before Felix could think about it too much he whispered, “No. Don’t do that.”

  
Sylvain raised his eyebrows and chuckled, “Don’t do what, Fe?” 

  
Felix sighed and sat up. “Don’t pretend like your fine and this isn’t affecting you. Don’t pretend you didn’t sob into Byleth’s shoulder last night. You don’t have to do that shit around me.” Watching Sylvain’s mask crack was painful, sorrow slowly overtook his features as he rolled onto his back and rubbed his eyes.

  
“Things are so fucked up, Fe. I don’t know what to do. I don’t even know why Byleth came last night, I’ve done nothing to deserve it. I’m just like Miklan." He took a deep breath and paused. "And… I’m not ready to face him. I’m not ready to face Miklan. But I know I have to.” 

  
Felix rolled over to face Sylvain. “Byleth came because she cares about you, just like she always has, idiot.” Sylvain chuckled hollowly as tears gathered in his eyes. 

  
“I was so ready to hate her after she picked up that damn sword. I hated that she had a crest this whole time, but she was still so free. All I’ve ever wanted was to be free, to not have a brother who hated me, not have parents that treated me like a stud horse to be sold. I told her she was a spoiled brat and that she needed to pay for her Crest.” He paused before whispering, “I told her I was going to collect the debt.” 

  
Sylvain stared at the ceiling as Felix stiffened on the bed. “That’s why you said you were just like Miklan. You hated her for something she couldn’t control and you wanted to make her pay.” He stood and turned to glare at Sylvain as Sylvain turned toward the wall. 

  
“I’m such a piece of shit, Fe. You guys shouldn’t have found me that day. Miklan would have got what he wanted, and I wouldn’t be here to hurt everyone.” 

  
Felix felt his stomach drop as he stared at Sylvain’s back. “You don’t mean that, Syl…” 

  
Sylvain didn’t turn toward him. In a cold voice he replied, “Don’t I? Just leave, Fe. Just go.” 

  
A knock sounded at the door and Felix turned to open it. Byleth stood in the doorway with a soft smile on her face. Felix shook his head and pushed her out to the hallway. “Did he threaten you yesterday?!” Byleth’s eyes widened slightly before she hesitantly nodded. “Why are you here? Why are you helping him? He threatened you!” 

  
Byleth sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “If I avoided everyone at this monastery who has threatened me, I wouldn’t be able to go anywhere. He was upset, I made it worse by telling him about Miklan. It’s fine, Felix.” 

  
She blew a puff of air in an attempt to move her bangs out of her eyes. Felix sighed and walked behind her, brushing his fingers lightly through her hair and pulling it up into a bun like he normally has, tying it off with the tie from his hair. She gave him a soft smile and whispered “thank you” before looking up at his hair. 

  
“I’ll grab one from my room. I should go and get ready for class… but he’s still in rough shape.” 

  
She sighed heavily and her shoulders slumped. “I figured he would be, but I hoped he would be better today…” She looked at Sylvain’s door and then back at him. “You go ahead. I’m already ready for class and it doesn’t start for another hour. I’ll try to get him to eat some of this and I’ll meet you at class. Stall everyone if I don’t get there on time.” 

  
Felix grabbed her elbow as she turned to walk away. “Should I even leave you alone with him?” 

  
Byleth frowned and shook her head. “He’s not going to hurt me, Felix. It’ll be fine. Now go.”

She moved the tray to one hand and tapped on Sylvain’s door before opening it and slipping inside. The tightness in Felix’s chest persisted all through the morning. He was the same little kid worried about his friend, and he hated it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used "The Edge of Dawn" the FE3H credits song, for the song Byleth sings. I only used the parts I thought would resonate with Sylvain, because that song is crazy long. It's been stuck in my head for days and I didn't want to have to make something up. 
> 
> We all know Felix loves singers. Annette and Dorothea supports... duh.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Again! Potential trigger warning. Briefly mentions suicide and Sylvain is experiencing a depressive episode. Byleth worries about Sylvain.

~Byleth~

Seeing Sylvain like that last night was one of the worst feelings Byleth had ever experienced. It reminded her of one of her father’s men, but she was hoping Sylvain wouldn’t turn out the way he did. She walked in with the breakfast tray and sat it on Sylvain’s desk. Sylvain hadn’t turned around to see who it was, she wondered if maybe he was sleeping. “Sylvain...?” She hesitantly walked over to sit on the bed and rest a hand on his shoulder. “Sylvain, I brought you some breakfast. Would you like some?”

  
Sylvain didn’t move. In a cold tone he grumbled out, “Leave me alone.” 

  
“Sylvain, you need to eat something. I won’t make you come to class, or even leave your room today, but I do need you to eat something… please?” She reached out to stroke his hair because it seemed to help sooth him last night but he flinched away from her hand.

  
“Why are you even here? I don’t deserve it. You were right yesterday… I hate you for something that’s not even your fault.” His voice was no longer cold, it was empty and defeated in a way that made Byleth ache. _This must be why Felix was so upset this morning._

  
Byleth hushed him softly and scooted closer to him. He was up against the wall, so he had nowhere to run without letting her speak to him. “I knew you were upset. I shouldn’t have told you about Miklan the way that I did. We both made mistakes yesterday… I’m sorry.” She reached out a hand to try stroking his hair again and he stiffened but didn’t pull away.

  
“I’m no better than Miklan. I’m a piece of shit just like he is. You shouldn’t be here.” His tone was still empty as his body began to tremble.

  
She wanted to hold him. Wanted to wrap him up and hold him until he felt better. She felt similar to this with Ashe, but Sylvain is different. This emptiness is scarier than Ashe’s broken sobs had been. “That’s not true, Sylvain. You’ve been through a lot. You will get through this. I’ll help you… Felix will help you. All of us will. You just have to let us.”

  
Sylvain stilled and without looking over his shoulder he whimpered, “Please? Please leave?”

  
She sighed and stood to walk toward the door. “I’ll leave for now, but I’ll be back this afternoon to bring you lunch. Or would you prefer someone else to come? I can ask Felix, or maybe Ingrid or Dimitri?” 

  
She could see how Sylvain curled into himself as he pulled his sheets higher to hide himself from her and the rest of the world. “Don’t tell anyone else. I don’t want them here.”

  
With one more sigh she opened the door and left. Memories of the man from her father’s company flowed through her brain and quickened her steps. She spotted Dimitri near the dining hall and yelled, “I need to speak with someone before class starts. If I’m late, have everyone study the formation on the board until I arrive.” 

  
He nodded and she ran toward the second floor and the faculty offices. She needed help. Jeralt wouldn't want to talk about it, he had never been good at these things, and it would bring up bad memories. She couldn't talk to Manuela, the woman was too loose with her lips. Hanneman wouldn't be able to stop from bothering her about her damned Crest of Flames so he was not someone she wanted to speak to about something like this.

  
There was only one other option she could think of… and he wouldn't be thrilled about it. After knocking lightly on his door, she heard his stern voice call, “Come in!” before she opened it slowly. Seteth’s eyes widened briefly with surprise before he schooled his expression back to dour and disapproving like it usually was in her presence. 

  
She sat in one of the seats in front of his desk and tried to look… not intimidating. “I know you aren’t fond of me, and I can’t really blame you. I want you to know that if Jeralt hadn’t specifically told me that we couldn’t turn Rhea down, I would be in Almyra with him right now rather than being a thorn in your side.” She paused and watched as his eyebrows crept up his forehead as he sat back slowly in his seat. “I know I can’t make you trust me, but I really need your help and I don’t know who else to turn to.”

  
He grimaced as he sat forward at his desk, steepling his fingers under his chin as he looked her over critically. “How can I help you, Miss Eisner?”

  
She sighed in relief before thinking about what she could possibly say to make him understand the situation. “I can’t tell you all of the details, because it’s not my place to tell the story, but Sylvain Gautier needs help, and I need your help to help him.” 

  
Seteth’s nose wrinkled in distaste at the name and Byleth had to fight down the instinct to snap at him for it. “What seems to be troubling Mr. Gautier? I know about your mission for this month, and given your… protectiveness over him I can only assume it has to do with his brother?” She nodded and watched him process the information. “What is it you want from me?”

  
Byleth stared down at the ground and tried to think. _What is it that I want from him?_ “A few years ago, there was a man my father was close to in our company. He was working with us in order to send money home to a sweetheart so they could buy land and finally marry. He was kind to everyone, even myself, and he was always trying to help people in the towns we passed through.” Seteth’s brow was furrowed in confusion but he waited patiently for her to finish. “One day he received word from his family… his sweetheart had been killed by bandits who attacked his village. When he heard… he shut down. We ended up staying in a random village far longer than necessary because we were unable to rouse him from his bed. He wouldn’t eat, speak, or train…” Seteth continued to stare at her but she could no longer meet his eyes. “One morning my father went in to check on him and found him dead. He had killed himself while everyone slept.” 

  
Seteth took a deep breath and sat back in his seat. He was still watching her critically, but there was a softness there that hadn’t been there a moment before. “I’m sorry you and Jeralt had to experience that.”

  
She nodded slowly and held his gaze. “I see that same look in Sylvain’s eyes. Not that I think he would necessarily do the same thing, but I fear for him. I don’t know what to do. I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’m not the best with emotions… you can add it to the list I’m sure you have of things that make me unqualified to teach the Lions, but I care deeply for them and especially for him.”

  
Seteth’s eyebrow raised and he grimaced but she’s quick to cut off his line of thinking. “No. Not anything improper. I’ve just known him longer and I know his story. I’ve saved his life twice, you can’t go through that and not care.” She thanked the sky above for her impassive face. “I know you dislike him, and I’m not saying he’s not a pain… but his parents failed to help him. I don’t want to fail him as well.”

  
Seteth looked her over slowly before sighing. “I think this is the most I’ve ever heard you speak.” She shrugged in response and he continued to stare at her. “I can see how much you care, and as leadership of the Academy we should do everything we can to help. I have an idea, something that has worked in the past. Meet me at the wyvern aviary after classes and I’ll show you.”

  
She raised an eyebrow in confusion, looking for more information, but he looked back down at the sheets of paper in front of him. He waved a hand at the door and said, “I believe you have a class you are supposed to be in, Professor.” With a small bow she left the room, hoping his plan would work.

After some asking around for directions, she finally found the wyvern aviary. Seteth was standing at the top of the stairs in riding pants and a tunic. She took a moment to appreciate just how much of his figure his bishop’s robes typically covered, before meeting his eyes. He either didn’t notice or didn’t care because all he did was nod his head and open the door. He put his fingers to his lips and whistled three times and she startled when she heard a mighty roar come from somewhere above her. Seteth smiled softly as a massive dark brown wyvern landed in front of him and nuzzled into his neck, not unlike the cats she liked to feed around the monastery. 

  
“This is Esme, she and I have been together for several years now.” All she could feel was awe as she looked the wyvern over. She was a beautiful chestnut brown, with piercing yellow eyes that examined her carefully. 

  
In a soft voice she whispered, “She’s absolutely beautiful.” The wyvern crooned at the comment and nuzzled into Seteth’s torso.

  
“She’s obviously happy you think so. Step forward slowly with your hand raised. She seems calm around you already, but we should give her a chance to get acclimated to you if you are going to ride her.”

  
Byleth could feel her jaw drop and Seteth raised an eyebrow in disbelief at her reaction. “This is what makes you expressive, Professor?” He was definitely mocking her but she couldn't fault him for it. She must look like a loon. She clamped her jaw shut and stepped forward slowly as he instructed and Esme immediately nuzzled into her hand before nuzzling into her chest.

  
Seteth looked slightly annoyed that Esme had taken to her so quickly, but he schooled his expression quickly. “I’m going to teach you how to fly her. I’ll tell you why when we are in the air.” Esme instinctively crouched, and she couldn't help but be impressed with the grace in which Seteth leapt into the saddle. He extended a hand to her and pulled her up in front of him. After a quick run through of tips on how to handle Esme, she lightly squeezed Esme with her knees and they took to the air.

  
“I’ve been working with Ingrid on pegasus flight training, but I think I might have a new favorite!” She yelled over the sound of the wind rushing past them and she can feel Seteth chuckle slightly. He was much softer around wyverns and Flayn, she could almost forget that he was an asshole most of the time.

  
Esme flew higher and higher for several minutes until Seteth took the reigns from her hands and pulled softly, making Esme slow slightly. She looked below them and the beautiful sight she saw took her breath away. Garreg Mach was much smaller in the distance and the mountain range was splashed with various colors due to the sunset. She wished she could freeze the moment in time. Sothis gasped in awe in the back of her mind.

  
Seteth cleared his throat softly and slowly took his hands away from her waist. “Being up this high has a tendency to make my problems feel small.” She hummed appreciatively in response as she continued to take in everything around her. “When I lost my wife… moments like this were the only thing that could take away the despair... if only slightly. I figured you could try it with Mr. Gautier.” He paused and she stayed quiet, wanting to give him a moment. 

  
“I do not dislike you, Miss Eisner. I cannot trust you, this is true… but I would be remiss if I did not tell you that your dedication and protectiveness of your students is certainly admirable.” He paused again and she could feel him tense slightly before he said, “Flayn is very fond of you. I appreciate all you do for her, even if I cannot trust you… yet.”

  
It’s all she could really ask of him, so she nodded in understanding. “I appreciate you telling me this. I’m sorry about your wife.”

  
He sighed deeply and relaxed behind her slightly. “It was long ago, but I can sympathize with Mr. Gautier. Pain can resurface at times, and it can make it hard to carry on. I sincerely hope you can help him.”

When they landed back at the aviary, she was surprised to see Jeralt there. He looked between them warily as he crossed his arms. Seteth introduced her to a wyvern she could use regularly and left quickly after bowing to Jeralt slightly. She informed the keeper that she would be coming every afternoon to practice before going to her father. 

  
Jeralt motioned to the door and she followed him out with a sigh. After a couple moments of walking he cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head. “… Is it smart to get involved with him, Kid? Normally I wouldn’t say anything because I know you can handle yourself and it's not my place but…” 

  
She scoffed and crossed her arms. “Really? You think I would get involved with Seteth? He may be attractive, but he’s way too uptight.”

  
He chuckled and relaxed immediately. “Then why were you out on a wyvern with him? Were you training?” He looked at her with his eyebrow raised. She couldn't blame him for feeling surprised, she had never said anything about having an interest in wyverns or anything of the sort. Not that she had a chance to experience anything like it until coming here, though.

  
“Something like that. He’s helping me with an issue with a student. I’ve already done some pegasus training with Ingrid because her goal is to become a Pegasus Knight, but I was thinking of introducing Sylvain to wyvern training. He wanted to work with axes when we were younger, but his families’ Relic is a lance. I think working toward becoming a Wyvern Lord would be a good goal for him.” It’s not exactly a lie. _I should bring it up to him if he likes being up there like I did._

  
Jeralt grunted in reply but didn’t say anything else about it as he lead her in the direction of the Cathedral. She was confused for a while, but followed him. He headed out the doors to the right shortly before the bridge to the Cathedral and she realized she’d never been out here before. They walked down a set of stairs and she looked around at the small graveyard they were now standing in.

  
“I thought it was time you met your mother. Her name was Sitri Eisner, she’s buried here.” He stopped in front of a gravestone and stroked it softly. 

  
“You told Rhea that I was born after you left the monastery… so why is my mother buried here?”

  
He rubbed the back of his head lightly and pulled a flask from his pocket. He took a few swallows and handed it to her, she took a drink before handing it back. “There’s a lot I haven’t told you, and I will tell you everything… one day. For now, I wanted to show you this.” He pulled a small ring from his pocket and placed it in her hand. It was a silver band with colorful stones that glimmered as they caught the last light of the day. 

  
“Your mother was beautiful, caring and so so smart. When she smiled it lit up the entire room. She loved to cook and spend time in the gardens. I used to bring her different flowers from wherever I was when I went on missions for Rhea because I loved the way her face lit up. She smiled the most when she was pregnant with you. She loved you so much.” He winced slightly like it was painful to tell her all of this before taking another drink from his flask. “I wanted to show you the ring because one day I want you to give it to someone you love, as much as I loved her. Cheesy, I know. But I want you to be happy, Kid.”

  
Byleth sighed and handed the ring back to her father. “I don’t know if that will ever happen for me, Jeralt. I’m not like other people… you know that.”

  
Jeralt walked toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You’ve changed since we got here, Kid. I’ve never seen you so expressive, and you care a lot about the brats. I think you might surprise yourself. I’m not trying to pressure you. I’ll give it to you one day and you can keep it for yourself. I just want you to keep an open mind.” He took another drink and groaned softly. “Caring hurts like a bitch when things are hard, but when it’s good… it makes it all worth it. I miss your mother every day and that hurts... but that doesn’t mean I’d take it back. I’m glad I have you to remind me of her.”

  
She nodded slowly and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Now enough of this sappy shit. Let’s go get some food.” She shook his arm off and glanced back at the gravestone. "Wait... Sitri died giving birth to me?" A darkness clouded his face as he looked her over before nodding. She slowly walked to the gravestone and knelt down in front of it. She traced her hands slowly over Sitri's name, and her birth and death dates. "This says she died on the 20th of the Horsebow Moon. That means I turn 21 next month..." She ran a hand through her hair with a deep sigh. "I have a birthday. I know how old I am." Jeralt was silent as he watched her. She stood and walked back over, looping an arm through his. "I'm ready to go. Thank you, for showing me."

Every day for the rest of the week she took Sylvain’s meals to him in between classes and practiced flying the wyvern every afternoon. She spent her evenings grading papers and preparing lesson plans in Sylvain’s room. He tolerated her presence but did not say anything. She struggled with leaving him alone, but knew he had to have some alone time. Felix would come to sit with her sometimes, but he never stayed long. Ever since that first night with Sylvain he had been acting strange, but Felix acting strange wasn’t really anything new at this point. If he wanted to talk about it, he would.

  
Friday after class she walked up to Sylvain’s room and after a quick knock walked inside. His appearance was haggard, he had bags under his eyes and stubble that lined his normally clean-shaven face. She doubted he had even taken the time to clean himself, but she couldn’t be sure. She sat on the edge of the bed and shook his shoulder lightly. “Sylvain… I have something I would like to show you. I need you to come with me.”

  
Sylvain grunted and shifted away from her but she pushed him onto his back and hovered over him so he had to meet her eyes. “I need you to come with me. I’m going to step out of the room so you can throw on some riding clothes. Come out when you are dressed.”

  
She stepped out of his room and stood in front of his door. Dimitri walked into his room next door after giving her a weird look, but he did not say anything. The Lions had been asking about Sylvain all week, but Byleth had told them he was sick and should not be disturbed. They were uneasy about it, especially Ingrid and Dimitri, but they complied with her wishes.

  
Several minutes later the door opened behind her and she sighed in relief. Sylvain looked exhausted, but he followed her as she led him out of the dorms. He faltered when they reached the aviary, but followed her when she took his hand and smiled gently at him. She watched him closely as she did the special whistle she had practiced all week. His jaw dropped as the beautiful chestnut colored wyvern landed in front of them. She was lighter than Esme, but she was bigger and had more experience with students. There was a shine in his eyes that she hadn’t seen in over a week and it made her chest feel warm.

  
“This is Emery.” Emery pushed into her chest and purred as she scratched her softly under her chin. They had bonded really well over the week, and she was hoping Emery would behave for Sylvain as well. Sylvain looked between them with a look of awe. “Raise your hand and walk forward slowly.” He did as she prompted and Emery cooed as she pressed her nose lightly into Sylvain’s hand. A small smile crossed his lips, a real smile, and Byleth couldn’t help but stare at him. He looked toward her expectantly and she smiled softly. “She likes you! I’m glad. It’ll be necessary for what I want to show you.” 

  
She mounted Emery and put her hand out for Sylvain. He froze and stared up at her. “I’ve only ever ridden horses… I don’t know--”

  
She cut him off with a shake of her head. “I’ve been practicing all week for this. I won’t let you get hurt.”

  
He nodded slowly and took her hand before swinging up behind her. He put his hands lightly on her waist and her skin sparked at the touch. She squeezed her knees lightly and Emery took off, just as they had every day that week. Sylvain yelped and squeezed her waist tighter. He buried his head in her neck and she couldn’t help the light chuckle that escaped her.

  
She had Emery slowly climb higher until she found the perfect spot and pulled gently on the reins. She took one hand off the reins to tap him lightly on the hand. “Look.”

  
Sylvain squeezed her tighter for a moment and she giggled softly. He slowly moved his head out from the crook of her neck and shifted slightly to look around. He gasped and her chest warmed. “Goddess… this is beautiful…” His voice was soft and his hold on her waist slackened slightly.

  
“When I came up here the first time… I loved it. It made it feel like all of my problems were just a little smaller.” Emery caught a tailwind and unfurled her wings to glide with it. It made it so quiet that all she could hear was the sound of them breathing in between the occasional wing beats. “I won’t claim to know what you are feeling or not feeling. I just want you to know that anything you do feel… it’s okay.” Sylvain’s body shook softly behind her and he squeezed her tighter. She turned her head to look at him but he wouldn’t meet her gaze. She took one hand and gently placed it on his cheek to turn his head to face her. “I’m here for you, as are your classmates.”

  
He shook his head softly and buried his face in her shoulder. “I’m not worth it. I never have been, I never will be.”

She growled audibly and he flinched back. “I won’t let you talk about yourself that way. You are worth it to me, and you are worth it to your classmates. I will tell you that until you believe it. You have to give me time to convince you… okay?” He froze, staring at her wide eyed before burying his head into her shoulder. He sobbed softly and she felt his tears soak into her coat.

  
She steered Emery softly as they circled the monastery far below them. It really did make everything seem so small. She had not been at the monastery long, but she felt like she had changed so much already. Emery let out a happy croon as they flew and Byleth felt strangely content. They flew around until Sylvain calmed down and pulled his head out of the crook of her neck. “I’ve been thinking about how you told me you wanted to work with axes when we were younger.” He stiffened behind her at the mention of their youth and she squeezed his arm lightly. “I was thinking that if you liked this, we could get you on track to one day be a Wyvern Lord. What do you think?”

  
He chuckled darkly and softly said, “My father would hate it. Generations of Gautiers have wielded the Lance of Ruin as they rode into battle on warhorses we breed up in the Kingdom.”

  
Byleth hummed softly and smirked. “All the more reason to do it.” Sylvain’s laugh rang through the sky and her not beating heart felt like it was flying. “I’m here to help you fulfill your dreams, Sylvain. Not your father’s.” 

  
He stiffened slightly before leaning closer to her. His breath was warm on her ear as he said, “My father won’t be happy about that. He’ll fight us at every turn if he finds out.” 

  
She shrugged. “I’m sure I could take him.”

  
He chuckled and she felt it through her own body as he squeezed her softly. “Thank you, Byleth. I mean it.”

  
“You can thank me by coming back to class on Monday. It’s boring without you antagonizing everyone.” He laughed again as they descended on the monastery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry. I'm not pulling a canon Dimitri where they have one good moment with Byleth and then all their problems go away. 
> 
> .... I just think riding a wyvern would be the coolest thing ever. 
> 
> Also a bit of soft Seteth because even though he's an ass for the first part of the game I could still see him doing something like this.


	25. Chapter 25

~Sylvain~

_It was dark in the well, so dark he couldn’t see anything around him. All he could feel was the freezing water he was in, and the chill of Northern Faerghus. Miklan’s voice echoed through the air, though he could not see him. “How does it feel to be a monster like me?”_

  
_He felt a punch to his gut and he doubled over into the water. He was suddenly submerged and he couldn’t breach the surface. His lungs began to burn as he kicked his legs trying to swim, but it was hard to move. Flashes of Miklan holding him under the surface at the pond at Fraldarius Manor when he was ten flashed around him._

  
_“All you ever had to do was exist. People have always given you everything you ever wanted. You don’t deserve any of this. It should have been ME!”_

  
_The water was gone and he was in his father’s study back at home. His parents sat behind the desk and watched as Miklan held him in the air by his throat. He tried to raise his arms to fight him off but it felt like he was chained. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t breathe._

  
_“That bitch never should have saved you. She should have left you there just like I did. Felix would be better off too. You only hold him back. You’ll never be able to protect them. I’ll kill them all... and then I'll finish what I started.” Miklan sneered up at him as everything faded to black._

“Sylvain? Syl, wake up! It’s just a dream!” 

  
Sylvain sat up gasping and clutched at his throat. He was covered in sweat and his sheets were sticking to his skin. His breathing was too fast and his heart was pounding in his ears.

  
“It’s alright. It was just a dream. Everything’s okay.”

  
Sylvain turned and saw Felix sitting beside him. Before he could think about it, he grabbed Felix and pulled him down on top of him. Felix smelled of sword oil and the training grounds, he’d probably already been training this morning. Sylvain tried to breath as Felix hushed him and ran a hand along his arm. When he calmed down a little, he let Felix go. Felix put some distance between them, but kept a hand on his arm. It was sweet, he was trying even though he normally hates stuff like this.

  
“Are you okay?” Felix’s voice was the softest he had heard in years. He wanted to appreciate it, but all he could think about was the things Miklan had said in his dream. 

  
Sylvain shook his head slowly, the lump in his throat wouldn’t allow him to speak yet.

  
“Byleth had to do some things down at the training grounds so she asked me to bring you breakfast. If I tell her you need her, she’ll come. She’s been worried about you... Do you want me to go get her?” Felix's voice was wary, but there was real concern in his eyes.

  
Sylvain shook his head again and grabbed Felix’s hand. He stiffened at the action, but after a moment he grunted and interlaced their fingers.

  
“Was it Miklan? Were you dreaming about Miklan?”

  
Sylvain sighed and ran his free hand down his face. “I was in the well again. He said I was a monster just like him… Then I was in the pond by your house. One summer Miklan got really mad about something and he would hold me under the water until I started to black out, bring me back up and let me breathe for a while, then hold me under again.” He swallowed hard and tried not to break down again. “Then I was back in my father’s study. He was choking me in front of my parents and they didn’t do anything…” He paused and looked over at Felix. “He said that Byleth should have never saved me. He said you would be better off because I just hold you back.” He looked back up at the ceiling and after a deep breath whispered. “He said he’s going to kill everyone… going to kill you… going to kill Byleth...”

  
Felix scoffed and sat up to lean over him. “You don’t have to be scared of him anymore, Syl. He’s just a piece of shit with a fancy lance. Byleth has been training everyone like crazy this week so no one gets hurt. She’s going to take him out easily. She did it before, and she’ll do it again.” Felix put a hand on each of his cheeks and tilted his head so light brown eyes met fiery amber. “We made a promise, Syl. You better keep up your end, because I’m going to keep up mine.”

  
Sylvain nodded as a tear rolled down his cheek. “Okay. I will.”

  
Felix smirked and got up to grab the tray of food. “Now… you look like shit. You need a bath and a good shave, and then I have the perfect thing to get you out of this damn room.”

  
Sylvain raised an eyebrow. “And what would that be?”

  
Felix crossed his arms and glared down at him with a smirk, challenging him. “Byleth and Catherine are giving a seminar on grappling and brawling training. Figured you wouldn’t want to miss out on that. It’s all the boar has been able to talk about the last few days.” He grunted his disapproval. “Besides… it’s about time you got out of this room.”

  
Sylvain couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out of his throat. “That does sound like something I would be into, doesn’t it? I should probably get some training in today to make up for this week. Think you would take it easy on me a bit if I asked you to train with me?”

  
Felix scoffed as he shook his head. “Why in all the hells would I do that? Now hurry and eat. I don’t want to miss out on a brawling seminar.”

  
Sylvain chuckled as he began eating his food. “Yeah… sure…” Felix threw a pillow at his face.

Felix went with him to the baths and after a shave they both headed to the training grounds. It was a pretty similar crowd to when Byleth had sparred with Jeralt. Byleth was standing in the center of the ring in her black cropped shirt and tight short shorts talking to Catherine who was wearing something similar but in white. They were an interesting pair, the Holy Knight in all white and the mercenary in all black. They seemed to be getting along a lot better, he had noticed how hostile they were on the mission to Magdred Way. Maybe that was just the circumstances.

  
Felix leaned over as they stood beside the ring and whispered, “Apparently one day they walked into the knight’s hall and just let loose on each other. I heard some of the knights talking about it. They seem to be working together fairly well now, though.” 

  
Ashe, Dimitri, and Dedue walked into the training grounds together and spotted them. Ashe ran up with a goofy grin as soon as he spotted Sylvain. “Hey Sylvain! Are you feeling better? Professor told us about that nasty stomach bug you had. All of us were really worried, but she said you needed your rest so we couldn’t visit.”

  
Sylvain put on his best fake smile and patted him on the shoulder. “Yeah, I was pretty much asleep all week, but I’m on the mend now. No need to worry about me!” Ashe beamed up at him as Dimitri and Dedue finally made it to their little group. 

  
“I’m really sorry about your brother, Sylvain. If it’s any consolation… I kinda understand how you might be feeling. Let me know if I can do anything to help or if you need to talk.” Sylvain tried really hard to keep the smile on his face. Ashe meant well, he couldn’t possibly know that their situations were nothing alike.

  
Suddenly someone ducked under his arm and grabbed him around the waist. He looked down and saw a slight smile and blue hair. “Sylvain! You’re out of your room!” Felix crossed his arms and looked between them but didn’t say anything. “Are you feeling any better?”

  
Sylvain smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Yup! Thanks for letting me rest, Professor. I’ll probably take today off to rest, but I’ll start training really hard tomorrow so I’m ready for the mission. I promise.” 

  
Dimitri cleared his throat and looked between them. “Well… we are all happy you are on the mend.

  
Sylvain noticed Dimitri’s staring and looked back down at Byleth, still pressed to his side. In his best teasing voice he said, “Ya know, Professor. You’ve become a lot more touchy lately.”

  
She stepped away quickly and tugged at a piece of her hair. It was weirdly cute. She mumbled, “Only with people who like it…” 

  
“Wait… what?” Dimitri, Dedue, and Ashe stepped closer with interest on their faces. Felix huffed and crossed his arms, but Sylvain could tell he was still listening.

  
She shifted her weight from side to side and tilted her head to the side. “I’ve been watching you all since I arrived here. A lot of you weren’t comfortable around me and I figured it was because I didn’t have much experience with… interaction… other than the battlefield.” She tugged on her hair again and looked up at the ceiling. “I noticed that Mercedes and Annette are always hugging and holding the others arm, so I try to hug them when I greet them.” She motioned toward Ashe and he blushed like crazy. “Ashe likes touches of reassurance when he is frustrated or afraid. He also seems to like when I touch him when I encourage him, a squeeze on the shoulder or hand, things like that.” Ashe ducked his head and Sylvain chuckled at how red his ears were.

  
She cut her eyes to him. “You touch everyone, all the time. An arm over someone’s shoulders, hugs, brushing someone’s hand…” She shrugged and motioned toward Dimitri. “Dimitri gets flustered if others touch him too much, though he likes encouraging touches like Ashe.” 

  
The prince flushed and stammered, “Uhh… yes Professor.”

  
She motioned toward Dedue and Felix. “Ingrid, Dedue, and Felix don’t seem to enjoy touch as much as the rest of you. I only give light touches if they seem upset or overly frustrated with something. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.” 

  
Dedue’s eyes crinkled as he looked down at her. He crossed his arms and said, “That is very astute of you, Professor.”

  
Dimitri and Ashe were still blushing as Ashe stammered out a, “I-I had no idea you were watching us so closely.”

  
Byleth walked over and looped an arm around his, and his face lit up with a goofy grin. “I had to try to learn. I still mess up all the time.” She shrugged lightly and looked down at the floor. “I guess growing up as a mercenary doesn’t teach you much about sharing affection, and helping others feel better. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable around me.”

  
Everyone looked over at her, even Felix. She sounded so vulnerable. It was out of place for the hardened mercenary they were all so used to. Ashe squeezed her arm lightly and chuckled softly. “We aren’t uncomfortable around you, Professor. At least I’m not. You helped me a lot when I was going through everything with Lonato. I’ll never forget it.”

  
Byleth released Ashe’s arm and smiled softly at him. “Thank you, Ashe.” She shook her head a bit and looked over the rest of them before standing in front of Felix. “Will you do my hair again? I don’t want it to get in the way.”

  
Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “You should really learn how to do it yourself. I told you I would teach you.”

  
She turned and smirked at him. “Why would I waste the time when I have you around to do it for me?” Felix rolled his eyes, but nudged her shoulders so she would face forward as he began to run his fingers through her dark blue hair. Everyone seemed to shake themselves out of their little reveries and turn toward the ring. 

  
“I got to watch the spar between Catherine and the Professor a few days before the Rite. I’m really excited about this seminar.” Dimitri was standing beside him and speaking to him, but his eyes never left Felix and Byleth.

  
“Ah! Your Highness! I’m sure the Professor would be more than happy to give you some one-on-one training if you wanted.” Something twisted in his gut but he smiled and winked anyway.

  
Dimitri flustered and turned back toward Dedue and Ashe who were excitedly talking about the spar that had happened before the Rite. Even Dedue was talking about how impressive it was as Ashe gushed about Byleth.

Byleth stood with a fresh braid in her hair and walked back to the center of the ring where Shamir and Catherine were talking. Shamir left to sit on the side of the room while Byleth got everyone’s attention.

  
“We wanted to provide this seminar because it is important to be prepared in the case you are ever disarmed. Catherine and I will spar with swords until one of us is disarmed and then display a few things you can do to be ready. Make sure you pay attention. You never know when this could save your life.”

  
They quickly sparred with their swords before Catherine disarmed Byleth. Byleth lunged at Catherine, wrapping her arms around her waist to take her to the floor. They fought for control of the other’s arms before Byleth pinned Catherine and she yielded. Catherine whispered something they couldn’t hear and Byleth did her little half chuckle before standing. Everyone cheered as Byleth helped Catherine up.

  
“The thing about hand to hand training is that you have to be smart. You don’t have to be the bigger or stronger person to come out on top, you just need to find the person’s weakness and exploit it.”

  
Raphael, the mountain of a kid from the Golden Deer class who never seemed to have a shirt that fit gave out a big belly laugh and Byleth turned to him with a smirk. “Do you have thoughts on this, Raphael?”

  
Raphael chuckled and Claude beside him hung his head. “No offense, Professor. I know you’re strong and all, but you and Catherine are like the same size.”

  
Byleth smirked and Claude shook his head with a groan. “Would you like to try your luck, Raphael? I know your focus is brawling. I shouldn’t be any trouble for you, right?”

  
Raphael shook his head and held his hands up in front of him. “I don’t want to hurt you, Professor. You’re so tiny!”

  
Byleth shook her head and motioned him forward. He slowly walked into the center and circled his shoulders. Felix scoffed loudly and crossed his arms. “Raphael, I say this for your benefit. Don’t hold back. She’s going to kick your ass either way.”

  
There were nervous chuckles all around them as people sat forward and watched intently. Raphael had to be almost twice her size. She was definitely at a disadvantage, but Sylvain had seen her take down Miklan, while bound, so he knew size didn’t matter. Caspar was on the other side of the ring bouncing in his seat while Petra, Edelgard, and Dorothea watched with interest. Claude was still shaking his head in disappointment with Ignatz beside him wringing his hands.

  
Byleth curled a finger in a “come here” motion and Raphael let out a loud cry and ran at her. Byleth dropped into a crouch under his arms and swept his legs out from under him. Raphael fell onto his front and Byleth grabbed his arms and held them behind his back. Raphael tried to roll over, but Byleth had herself firmly planted. He yielded and stood with a blush on his cheeks as everyone cheered.

  
“Come on! Let me try again! That was too fast, I’ll do better this time!”

  
Byleth nodded and they got back into position. Raphael charged her again and she crouched to sweep his legs again. He was quicker this time and jumped out of the way. He swung for her head and she leaned backwards and kicked him in the stomach with an impressive front kick. There were groans from multiple spectators as Raphael tried to stay standing. His breathing was ragged as he lunged at her legs. She stepped to the side and kicked the back of his knees sending him to the ground again. She pinned his arms as she had done the first time and he yielded without trying to get her off.

  
The crowd was cheering like crazy, especially the very few women in the audience, as she flipped him onto his back. Her hands lit up with healing magic as she took care of his stomach and the back of his knees. Catherine stepped forward and laughed loudly as she clapped her hands. 

  
“This is what she meant when she said that size doesn’t mean you are going to win easily. In a regular fight, Raphael would have the advantage. He has size and strength on the Professor, but the Professor fights smart. That’s what we are going to teach you how to do today.”

  
Everyone cheered again as Byleth helped Raphael up and helped him walk over to a very amused looking Claude and very worried Ignatz who immediately stood to fuss over his friend. Raphael had a huge grin on his face like he hadn’t just had his ass handed to him by a girl half his size. Caspar stood and ran over to Byleth. “You’ve gotta let me join your class! You’ve just gotta!” Edelgard walked over and grabbed his arm to pull him back to the side as Dorothea and Petra looked Byleth over, giggling. _Looks like everybody’s hot for teacher._

  
Dimitri and Ashe were going crazy off to his right. “D-Did you see the way she took him down! He has to be at least twice her size and she barely broke a sweat! I-I knew she was strong, but that was amazing!” Ashe was blushing furiously as he stammered his praises.

  
Dimitri was just as excited and Dedue looked between them in amusement before nodding to Sylvain. Felix was pouting to his left so he leaned down and whispered in his ear, “What’s eating you?”

  
Felix jumped and whirled around at him. “Don’t do that!” He crossed his arms and glared. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was just watching the demonstration.”

  
Sylvain chuckled lightly and rubbed the back of his head. “She’s really something. Seems like her fan club grows every week, doesn’t it? I’m surprised everyone hasn’t transferred to our class already. Goddess knows she’s a better instructor than Manuela or Hanneman.”

  
Dimitri cleared his throat and stepped up beside them. “Actually, she has had several people ask to join our class since the Rite of Rebirth. She’s been especially busy this past week, she keeps sneaking off and hasn’t been able to handle it properly yet.”

  
Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “They just want to use her for her Crest I’m sure.”

  
Sylvain chuckled and threw an arm over his shoulder. “What if you didn’t know her and she taught another class? You know you would want to transfer just to be taught by someone with a fancy sword.” Dimitri laughed as Felix glared at them.

  
Dimitri stopped laughing and sighed. “Our Professor is special, that is for certain. Claude and Edelgard are trying desperately to hang onto their classmates, but we’ll see how much longer that lasts.” His face was smug as he watched Edelgard yell at Caspar, probably about the very thing they were talking about.

  
Felix grunted and punched Dimitri’s arm. “None of us want a bunch of people to transfer into our class. Byl- the Professor has already been busy as it is, imagine if she had more students!” 

  
Dimitri nodded solemnly and looked at Felix. “I agree. But the Professor is a very skilled individual. As much as I dislike the idea of less time to partake of her expertise, we can’t keep her to ourselves all the time.”

  
Felix rolled his eyes and turned away. “We don’t! She gives seminars like this one and is constantly having meals or training with Claude. She fishes with Flayn and Lindhart, and she even takes lunch with Bernadetta in her room sometimes. She gives plenty of time to the other students.”

  
Sylvain’s eyebrows shot to his hairline. “Wow Fe… it’s kinda creepy that you know all of that.” Dimitri was too busy glaring at Claude to notice.

  
Felix flushed and glared at him. “What? I’m her friend. She tells me these things. Now stop talking and go practice.” He stomped over to spar with Caspar as Sylvain laughed at him.

  
_I wonder if he knows about the flight Byleth and I took last night._ He closed his eyes and could almost feel how close she had been. Her giggle as he had clung to her, the pink in her cheeks as she had told him how much he mattered. The colors in the sky as they flew above the monastery…

  
“Well you look happier than I expected you to be.” Sylvain shook the memory from his head and opened his eyes to see Dorothea looking him over thoughtfully with Petra beside her.

  
He chuckled and folded his arms behind his head. “I was just picturing poor Raphael getting thrown around like a sack of potatoes. I almost feel bad for the guy.”

  
Dorothea smirked and looked over to where Raphael and Caspar were excitedly shouting at Byleth who was flustering at all of the attention. “And you think you could have done better?”

  
Sylvain laughed loudly and shook his head. “I know better than to pick a fight with Byleth. She would kick my ass into next week. Raphael just underestimated her.” A small smile crossed his face as he watched Byleth demonstrate different choke-holds with Caspar.

  
Dorothea chuckled and lightly punched his arm. “Oh… so it’s Byleth now, is it?”

  
Sylvain’s head shot over and he tried to brush it off. “Well I’ve known her for a long time, now. I’m sure you’ve heard about how she trained with Felix and I when we were younger. I’m supposed to call her Professor around the other students but I guess that one slipped.”

  
She stepped closer to him and winked flirtatiously. “Well this is the first time I’ve seen you look at a woman in a way that wasn’t absolutely lecherous or in distaste. I had a theory that you just hated women.”

  
Sylvain chuckled and stretched his arms above his head. “Me? Hate women? That couldn’t be further from the truth. When I flirt, I stake my life on it. I LOVE women… and men. I’m just a real people person. I can never get enough.”

  
She chuckled and stepped closer to him. She was getting really close and she was grinning like the cat that caught the canary. “Uh huh… I’ll believe it when I see it. Staking your life on it is the type of thing you should only do when you’re in love.”

  
Sylvain chuckled and kept the grin on his face as he placed an arm around Dorothea’s waist. “Oh… I could totally see me staking my life on it with you, gorgeous.” She chuckled and pushed his arm lightly. “I also feel that way about everyone else I flirt with.” He winked and she laughed at him.

  
“Oh, Sylvain. You certainly are an interesting fellow.” She slipped out of his hold and draped her arm around Petra’s shoulders. “I was sorry to hear about your brother. It must be hard.” Her face was sincere, she probably didn’t mean any harm, but his blood started to boil.

  
“Oh, don’t worry about me. He’s always been a piece of shit. I can’t wait until he sees I’m part of the group that was sent to confront him.” He worked hard to keep the nonchalant grin on his face as he shoved his hands in his pockets so she wouldn’t see him trembling.

  
“I cannot imagine having to be killing my own kin. I would feel much sorrow.” Petra’s eyebrows were furrowed as she looked him over with pity in her eyes. Dorothea nodded her head but looked more evaluating than pitying.

  
“Well, I pray to the Goddess that you’ve never had kin that have treated you the way Miklan treated me growing up.” He gritted his teeth and Dorothea’s eyebrows flew to her hairline. Petra looked concerned as well.

  
“Is everything okay over here?” Byleth spoke from right beside him and he yelped as he jumped away.

  
“Goddess! You can’t sneak up on people like that, Professor.” All three of the women were giggling at him as he tried to calm down.

  
Dorothea walked over and pulled Byleth into a hug as Petra smiled. “That was such a great demonstration, Professor! You should definitely teach me some of those tricks you were doing with Catherine… preferably with less kicking than you did with Raphael.” Dorothea winked as Byleth looked her over.

  
“If it’s the defensive training you want, I’m happy to help.” Byleth’s tone was warning as she looked at Dorothea sternly.

  
“Oh Professor!” Dorothea giggled. “I wish there were more people like you. Taking down Raphael like that was just spectacular. Now if you’ll excuse us, I think we are going to go and grab lunch with Edie! Bye bye now!” She wiggled her fingers in farewell and dragged a protesting Petra back over to Edelgard.

  
“You and Dorothea are an interesting pair. I think you guys are probably the two most flirtatious people I’ve ever met… though your motivations are vastly different.” She turned to look at him and then rested a hand on his arm. “Are you alright? I heard them talking about Miklan.”

  
Sylvain shrugged off her arm and gave his usual grin. “I’m fine Professor, you don’t need to worry about me.” 

  
It was bullshit and she knew it as she gave him a skeptical look. “Okay… well Felix told me you wanted to get back into training soon. If you would like I can set aside some time for some extra one-on-one training before the mission? I want you prepared, just in case.”

  
Sylvain let out a hollow chuckle and shook his head. “No. I’m sure Felix will whip me into shape if I give him the opportunity. You’ve spent way too much time on me over the last week. People will start to get ideas if you keep giving me special attention.” He winked and threw his hands behind his head.

  
She frowned slightly and tipped her head to her fist. “Alright… if you’re sure.” She sighed and rolled her shoulders. “I should go and find Felix, I promised I’d let him watch me train with the Sword of the Creator. I’ve got to be ready to face the Lance of Ruin… not that Miklan can use it… but I’d rather be prepared.” She gave him a slight smile and waved as she left.

  
_Right… fighting against the Lance of Ruin…_ Sylvain shuddered and suddenly felt like all of the energy was draining out of his limbs, everything felt heavy. He watched Felix grapple with Caspar for a moment, and waved to Dorothea as she walked out with Petra and Edelgard. 

  
With a sigh he turned and walked toward the doors of the training grounds. He walked past all the dorms and up the stairs to the second floor. When he reached his room, he shut the door and took his boots off before crawling into bed.

  
“Maybe I’ll start training tomorrow.” He mumbled as he turned to face the wall. The empty room gave no reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Catherine while looking up at Byleth who is currently pinning her to the ground.*
> 
> "You know... we really gotta stop meeting like this. Shamir is gonna kill me."  
> *Shamir salivates in the corner stoic-ly*


	26. Chapter 26

~Felix~

He was brawling with Caspar when Byleth walked over to watch. Caspar finally pinned him down when he got distracted because he noticed her. “Ha! Gotchya! YES!” Caspar shouted and pumped his fists into the air like a loon. “Oh! Did you need something, Professor? Have you decided if you’ll let me join your class?” He was practically bouncing like a child as he stared at her.

  
Her lip twitched up slightly as she looked them over. “I’m still considering whether I’m taking transfer students. Give me a little longer to think about it, okay? I promise we can still train together.” Caspar whooped and ran over to Raphael. 

  
She turned to Felix and gave him a soft smile. “I promised you could watch me train with the Sword of the Creator. I’m going to head to a meadow outside the monastery to get a little practice. Would you like to join me?” 

  
As Felix began to nod a voice rang out behind him. “Do my ears deceive me, or did you just say you’re letting people watch you train with the Sword of the Creator.” Felix whipped around to see Claude winking at Byleth. “If so I would be very interested in seeing you work with it up close.”

  
Claude walked over and draped an arm around Byleth as she gave a soft smile. “She said she was going to let me watch her with it. Not you.” Felix crossed his arms and glared at Claude.

  
Byleth gave her half chuckle and shook her head. “You can come, but you have to stay back with Felix. I’m not sure what the sword is capable of yet and I don’t want to hurt either of you.”

  
Claude put his free arm over his heart and leaned closer to her. “Aww Teach! You do care!” He winked and pulled her toward the door. “What are we waiting for?! Let’s get to work!” Felix trailed behind them grumbling under his breath.

They reached a meadow with a stream that was fairly close to the entrance of the monastery, but far enough off the path so they wouldn’t be disturbed. Byleth had stopped at her room to grab the Sword of the Creator and it now hung at her side as she spun in a circle, probably surveying the area to make sure it was safe. “Alright you guys…” she turned towards them with her hands on her hips “I want you to go and sit by that tree over there while I test the sword out, okay?” She pointed to a tree that was about 50 paces away.

  
Claude groaned as Felix rolled his eyes. “Teach! Why do you want us so far away! I wanted to see you up close!” 

  
Byleth shook her head and stared down at the sword. “I don’t think it’s a normal sword. I want to try something and if I’m right you need to be far away. If I’m wrong, I’ll let you move closer.”

  
Felix and Claude looked at each other confused, before Felix grabbed Claude’s arm and dragged him over to the tree. “Come on. It’s better to just listen to her.” Claude chuckled as he sat down beside him.

  
Byleth turned away from them and circled her shoulders. She took a few practice swings at a nearby tree and Felix was impressed by the grooves the sword left with light swings. She did one of the warm up routines she had showed him before the tournament last month and Felix slumped into the tree.

  
Without warning, Byleth let out a cry and there was a sound of metal scraping as the once solid sword became more like a whip and wrapped itself around the tree. Claude gasped and sat up just as Felix got to his feet. “It’s a WHIP?! What the hell?!” Claude was silent, sitting on the ground with his jaw on the floor. He looked just as surprised as he felt.

  
Byleth let out another cry and pulled sharply. The grooves of the sword tightened around the trunk of the small tree and cut all the way through it. Byleth jumped out of the way as the tree fell.

“Holy shit! Byleth!” Felix was running before he knew what to do. The dust settled and he saw Byleth staring at the tree she had just cut down.

  
She shifted her gaze to him and a smirk crossed her lips. “That’s why I told you to stay away.”

  
Claude laughed and bent over at the waist to rest his hands on his knees. “Holy shit. That was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen, Teach! I guess the legend about being able to cut a mountain in half has at least some merit, though probably an exaggeration.” He rubbed the back of his head and looked at the tree. “How far do you think that thing can reach?” 

  
Byleth shook her head and looked down at the sword that was now back in its standard sword form. “I don’t know. Go back to where you guys were and I’ll try to test it out.” They jogged back to the tree and sat to watch Byleth. She gave a few warm up swings before she whipped it out again. It shot forward about ten feet and lodged into the dirt. She pulled and a clump of earth flew up as the sword became whole again. 

  
Byleth rolled her shoulders and with a yell whipped it out again. The whip shot forward like an extension of her arm and lodged into the trunk of a tree about twenty feet in front of her. She pulled it back and the sword had left a hole in the trunk of the tree. Claude whistled beside Felix and rubbed the back of his head. “Damn it. I really should have tried harder to get her to teach the Deer.”

  
Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “You just want to use her for her Crest, just like everyone else does now.”

  
Claude chuckled and crossed his arms behind his head. “I won’t lie, having the Sword of the Creator around would be a nice perk. But she’s something special…” He shook his head and smiled, though his eyes were calculating.

  
Felix smirked and looked back toward Byleth who was still testing the whip. “She told me she was trying to choose between the Golden Deer or us. I guess we just lucked out.”

  
Claude chuckled and dropped his arms. “Well… there’s still after graduation. There’s other ways to get her by my side.” Claude winked as Felix scowled at him.

  
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Felix gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

  
Claude leaned against the trunk of the tree and smirked at him. “Oh I’m just thinking of the same thing as His Pretty Princliness, I’m sure. She’s got the Crest of Flames… I’m sure the powerful suitors will be at the monastery to knock down her door any day. And besides… just look at her.” Felix glared as Claude took his time looking over Byleth.

  
“You sound like Sylvain. She’s not just a piece of meat or a powerful Crest.” 

  
Claude’s eyes softened slightly as he turned to Felix. “Oh, you’re right. She’s beautiful, powerful, and caring with all of the students… not just her own. She takes the potential of the people around her and molds it until their strength shines through. Not that any of the noblemen and women are going to take that into account.” He sighed and threw his arms behind his head. “She won’t fall for any of their schemes I’m sure.”

  
Felix scoffed and looked Claude over. “Like you aren’t scheming for the same thing.”

  
Claude didn’t take his eyes away from Byleth as he said, “I have dreams that she could help me fulfill… and I enjoy spending time with her. She’s intriguing.”

  
Felix looked back over at Byleth and watched as she elegantly danced through the clearing with the Sword of the Creator soaring around her. The sword was massive, but already it looked like it was just an extension of her body. Her face was calm as she swung at invisible enemies. The braid he had done in her hair swung around behind her. _Claude is right. People are going to keep hearing about her and they are all going to try and win her affection._

  
He groaned and slumped back against the tree, but Claude didn’t pay him any mind. His attention was fully on the beautiful and deadly dance Byleth was doing in front of them. _It’s not like she’d look at me twice anyway. She used to see me as a little kid, and now I’m her student. It’s not like I want to be with her anyway… I have more important things to do. Like training… and more training. I swore off romance and those frilly things a long time ago._ Something in his chest squeezed at the thought but he shook his head and didn’t pay it any mind. _She’s a good friend who’s helping me get stronger. That’s it._

  
He distinctly ignored the little voice in the back of his head that didn’t believe that.

~Byleth~

She finished up her training and walked back over to Felix and Claude. The air was thick with tension and they wouldn’t look at each other. “Is… something wrong? Did something seem off about my swings?” She tilted her head to the side trying to figure out why they were both staring at her.

  
“It was beautiful, Teach. You are your sword are both amazing.” Claude smiled and winked at her, but his smile was strained.

  
Felix rolled his eyes and looked in the direction of the monastery. “If you are done, I’m going to go and get some more training in.” He leaned close and whispered in her ear, “Will you be checking on Sylvain, or should I?” She put her face closer to his so she could whisper back her answer, but he flinched away. She frowned but nodded to tell him she would. He jogged off toward the monastery.

  
“Did something happen?” She turned to Claude who chuckled nervously and stretched his arms above his head. 

  
“Who knows with that guy. What do you say to having dinner with me, Teach? I’d love to pick your brain.”

  
She motioned for him to follow and started walking back toward the monastery. “What exactly do you want to pick my brain about.”

  
Claude chuckled and fell in step beside her. “Well… I was wondering when you were going to tell everyone you were a descendant of Nemesis. I mean, you do bear the Crest of Flames.”

  
Byleth shook her head and glanced over at him. “I didn’t know anything about any of this before I came to the monastery. I didn’t even know who Nemesis was until Seteth lectured me about it the night we found the Sword of the Creator.” She waved her hand toward the sword on her hip and Claude’s eyes followed the motion.

  
“You’re telling me you didn’t know anything about the only major religion in Fodlan until you were hired as a professor at the monastery?” She nodded and hummed in acknowledgement and he scoffed. “What rock did Jeralt raise you under? And why?”

  
She shrugged and kept her same pace. “I don’t know. My father doesn’t like talking about his past. I didn’t even know he was the Captain of the Knights of Seiros until the night I saved you in Remire. I don’t ask too many questions. None of it has ever mattered.”

  
“Was Jeralt the one who taught you how to fight?” Byleth nodded and glanced over at Claude. He had his hands at his chin with his brow furrowed in concentration. “How did your mother feel about you becoming a mercenary like your father?” 

  
Byleth frowned and looked down at her feet. “I never knew my mother. My father recently told me she died giving birth to me. Apparently, her name was Sitri.”

  
Claude put an arm around her shoulders and his face softened. “I’m sorry, that was insensitive of me. I thought maybe she lived somewhere else or something. Some of the knights leave their families in various towns and villages all over Fodlan while they work out of the monastery, I thought maybe that was the case with you two.” She shook her head and looked back down at her feet.

  
“Well Teach, you are an enigma. Every answer I get from you gives me five other questions. It’s all so exciting and frustrating… I can’t decide how to feel!” He chuckled and pulled her closer.

  
“I know how that feels.” He turned to look at her as she spoke. “Before I came to the monastery everything was… foggy. It’s like my life was all grey with only little moments of color…” He stared at her in interest and she looked forward, suddenly feeling nervous. “But ever since coming here… it’s like I feel more now. It’s hard to explain. But I understand not knowing how to feel.”

  
He chuckled softly and pulled her arm to make her stop. “Teach, your face looks awfully melancholy right now. It’s never been this easy to read you. Are you alright?” He placed a hand on her shoulder and took a step closer to her.

  
She shook her head and looked into his emerald eyes. “I don’t know. I spend so much of my time worrying and preparing… it’s like it’s hard to breathe sometimes. Is that normal?”

  
Claude smiled softly and stared into her eyes. “I can imagine that someone thrown into your position would feel that way, yes. I experienced something similar when I was announced as the heir to House Riegan.” 

  
She furrowed her brow as Claude dropped his hand and they started walking again. “What do you mean? Isn’t that something you’re normally born into?” 

  
Claude chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. “Normally, yes. I wasn’t raised in this life of nobility, I was only announced as the heir by my grandfather about a year ago.”

  
Byleth tilted her head and leaned it onto her fist. “I noticed you didn’t act like Dimitri and Edelgard, I figured maybe the Alliance just wasn’t as stuffy as the Kingdom and the Empire. I guess that doesn’t explain Lorenz, though.” Her nose wrinkled and Claude threw his head back in a laugh. “Do your parents live with your grandfather in the Alliance?”

  
“No… my parents live far away. I haven’t seen them since I came to Fodlan.” A look she couldn’t pin down crossed his features for only a moment before his normal mask slipped back into place.

  
“I’m sorry about that. It must be hard. I’ve never spent this much time away from Jeralt, even though he technically still works here… but I still miss him all the time.”

  
Claude laughed hollowly and stared ahead as they got close to the gate. “We’ve got a lot in common if you look hard enough, Teach. We’re both outsiders, thrust into a place we don’t always fit neatly into.”

  
They paused outside the entrance hall and Byleth placed a hand on his arm as he had for her. “I don’t think you’re an outsider, Claude. Your charismatic, handsome, and inquisitive. Whoever doesn’t see that is a fool.”

  
His eyes glistened for a moment as he stared at her, before pulling her in for a hug. He softly whispered near her ear. “Thanks Teach. That means a lot coming from you. But I kinda like the idea of being outsiders together.” He winked as she stepped out of his arms. “Will you come to dinner with me?” He waved his arm toward the dining hall and her lip twitched upwards. 

  
“I’ve got to grab a tray and go and check on someone. I’ll come with you for a little while?” 

  
He stuck his arm out and she looped hers through it. “Are you talking about Sylvain?” She stiffened slightly but kept her face impassive. “It’s alright, Teach. I’ve just seen you spending a lot of time checking up on him. He looked rough this morning. Is it because of the Lance of Ruin?”

  
She nodded slowly and thought about what she could tell him. “Sort of. It’s more the bandit who stole it. It’s his brother… and they have a rough history. I can’t really say anything more.”

  
Claude nodded and guided them into the dining hall. “Based on your protectiveness and his haggard appearance this morning I can make some assumptions… but I won’t press anymore, I promise.” He dropped her arm and grinned at her as he grabbed a tray and she looked over the options.

  
She grabbed a tray of some pheasant dish she thought Sylvain might like and walked toward the door. “Thank you for letting me watch today, Teach. I hope we can spend more time together soon.” He winked at her before walking to a table where Hilda and Marianne sat. Hilda waved and smiled at her and she waved back before heading to Sylvain’s room.

She knocked softly, once she arrived, but didn’t get a reply. She opened the door slowly and saw that Sylvain was back in bed. She had been expecting it, but her heart still dropped. _It will take some time for him to feel better. I just have to give him time._

  
She set the tray on the desk and lit a candle before sitting on the edge of the bed. “Sylvain?” He stirred slightly but didn’t turn toward her. “How are you feeling?” Again, Sylvain didn’t answer. She craned her neck over and saw that his eyes were open, but half lidded as he stared toward the wall. She kicked her boots off and crawled over him to lay down between him and the wall so he had to look at her.

  
“Sylvain? I brought you some dinner. Will you eat for me?” Sylvain looked at her for a moment before he nuzzled closer to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. She stroked his hair and hummed the same song she sang the other night. He sighed and relaxed into her. They laid there like that for a while before Sylvain lifted his head to stare at her. His eyes had dark circles under them and she touched them softly.

  
“Will you eat some food for me? I promise I’ll go so you can rest after.”

  
He put his head back into the crook of her neck and whispered, “Don’t go. Stay here with me... Please?” She stroked his hair for a moment until she felt his lips on her neck. He started to kiss down her neck slowly and she sighed softly as the sparks tingled across her skin. _Wait._ She stiffened in his hold before pushing against him softly. 

  
“Sylvain… Sylvain I know you’re upset and you want something to make you feel better… but I can’t do this.”

  
His eyes hardened and his lip curled into a snarl. “Of course, you can’t. Why would you want to do this with me.” He took the arm off her waist and turned his body toward the door.

  
She reached out a hand and placed it on his back. “That won’t actually make you feel better, Sylvain. Besides… I’m your teacher. I can’t…”

  
Sylvain stiffened and pulled the sheets up over his head. “Just go. Don’t come back. I don’t want you here anyway.”

  
A lump formed in her throat as she slid off the bottom of the bed. “Sylvain… please? Please will you just eat? It’ll help you feel better. You'll get some rest and everything will get better.”

  
Sylvain jerked up so quickly she startled slightly. His golden brown eyes were furious as he glared at her. “I said go! I don’t want to see you anymore. GO!”

  
She pulled on her boots and left the room quickly. Her eyes gave to burn and a lump in her throat was making it hard to breathe. Someone called out for her but she didn’t turn around. It was dark as she walked outside. She took in her surroundings and noticed there was a group of students walking from the dining hall toward the dorms. She ducked into the greenhouse to escape being seen, and not seeing anyone, closed the doors and locked them. She sank down slowly and pulled her knees to her chest.

  
_“I shouldn’t have done that. I just wanted to give him some comfort… this is all my fault.”_ She put her head in her hands and tried to focus on her breathing.

  
**“The boy is in pain, dear one. I tried to tell you to stay away from the philanderer… but I know how you care for him.”**

“Professor?” Her head shot up to see Dedue standing on the other side of the greenhouse behind some plants. 

“Oh! I’m sorry Dedue. I didn’t see the Greenhouse Keeper so I thought no one was in here.”

Dedue looked her over with concern before slowly walking toward her. “The Greenhouse Keeper does not like being alone in here with a man of Duscur.” Byleth groaned and threw her head back.

“Are you alright, Professor? I have never seen you so… upset.”

She chuckled darkly and looked down at her boots. “You aren’t the first person to say that to me this week.” She shook her head softly and avoided his gaze.

Dedue shifted his weight from foot to foot for a moment before clearing his throat slightly. “I am not good with words, but may I show you something that might help you feel better?”

She lifted her head in curiosity and took his hand so he could help her stand. He led her to the back corner of the greenhouse and knelt down, she knelt down beside him. She looked down and saw beautiful flowers of various shades spread out in front of her. She sighed and leaned down to touch them softly. “These are beautiful.”

Dedue smiled softly and began touching a bloom as well. “Yes. Yes, they are. These flowers are from Duscur. My sister was particularly fond of this one.” He touched one with dusty pink petals, he handled it with such care that her chest tightened.

She whispered, “I did not know you had a sister…” 

He dipped his head and worked the soil around the flowers, pulling a weed or two as he went. “It never came up. Duscur is a dead land. The flowers were all trampled under the boots of soldiers. But seeing these blossom today brought back so many memories.” His brow furrowed as he sat back on his heels. “I do not know why I am telling you all of this. I suppose something about you reminds me of my sister.”

Byleth tipped her head and smiled softly. “Is that so?”

Dedue nodded slowly and crossed his arms over his chest. “You look nothing alike, of course. She had dark skin and light hair like mine. Her hair was much longer, and she would often have my mother braid flowers into it.” He looked off into the distance and smiled softly. “However, she was a fierce protector. She looked out for others, and often neglected herself to do so. She died while hiding me from the soldiers that burned our homeland to the ground and slaughtered our people.” He cleared his throat and Byleth took one of his huge hands between both of her small ones. He slipped his hand out from between hers and shook his head. “It is in your best interest not to spend any more time around me than necessary.” 

Byleth took his hand again and he did not pull away. “I’ll spend my time however I like. I don’t care what people say.”

Dedue smiled softly and squeezed her hand. “It pleases me to speak to you like this. There are not many I feel I can trust in Fodlan. His Highness is kind to me, but he does not understand that people look down on me if I act too… familiar with him. He wishes to be friends, but it cannot be.” Dedue shook his head slowly and Byleth squeezed his hand. 

“Well I will be your friend, Dedue.”

Dedue stared down at the flowers in silence for a few minutes and Byleth dropped his hand. “If you truly do not mind, I would be glad to receive more visits from you in the future. It’s like having my big sister around again… it feels… nice.”

Byleth chest warmed, all stress forgotten for a moment. “I would enjoy that. I think I will retire for the night, be sure to get some rest.” Dedue nodded and waved as she walked out of the greenhouse. She took a deep breath as she walked into the night air and sighed deeply. 

**“Your students adore you, Byleth. The things you do to help might not always work, but you are trying hard to help your Lions. They know that.”** Sothis hummed a tune Byleth didn’t recognize while Byleth walked to her room.

“Does that tune have words? It’s lovely.” Sothis appeared as soon as Byleth opened her door. 

“Hmmmm… I am trying to remember.” She floated in the corner as Byleth got ready for bed. After a few moments she shouted, “I thought of it!” She took a deep breath and began to sing.

_**In time’s flow…** _   
_**see the glow** _   
_**Of flames ever burning bright** _   
_**On the swift… river’s drift** _   
_**Broken memories alight…** _

_“It’s lovely, Sothis.”_ Byleth hummed it softly as she closed her eyes to rest.

**“Thank you, dear one. I think… I think I wrote it. I can’t quite remember why…”** She hummed along with Byleth for a while before she whispered, **“Rest well, Byleth. I will be here to watch over you.”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cringed the whole time I wrote the seen in Sylvain's room. *sigh* It's based off a past experience of mine and I felt like Sylvain would totally be the type to pull something like that. Fallout will come next chapter... and oh boy will there be fallout.


	27. Chapter 27

~Sylvain~

Sylvain woke the next morning to a knock, just like he had for the last week. However, this time when he turned over, he was greeted by Dimitri instead of Byleth. His heart sank as Dimitri placed a tray of food on his desk and walked toward him with an envelope. “The Professor asked me to bring this to you, along with some breakfast.” Sylvain took the envelope from him slowly and looked down at his name on the front. Dimitri shifted his weight and cleared his throat. “Well… If you require nothing else, I will take my leave. I will see you in class.”

  
“Thanks, Your Highness…” His voice was rough with sleep and exhaustion. He had been up all night thinking about Byleth's face when he had yelled at her and told her he didn't want to see her anymore. He had hoped it was all just a bad dream, until he held the envelope in his shaking hands. Dimitri bowed slightly and left the room. Sylvain tore open the envelope and held his breath.

_**Sylvain,** _

_**I will be requiring you to attend classes for the next three weeks if you wish to help on our mission this month. If you do not wish to go with us, please notify me immediately so I can plan accordingly. I have asked Dimitri to supervise your training for the time being.** _

_**Sincerely,** _   
_**Professor Byleth Eisner** _

Sylvain dropped the letter and brought his hands up to his face. Tears burned his eyes and a lump formed in his throat. The pressure built in his chest as he laid back down on the bed. It was getting harder to breathe. _You pushed her away. Just what you wanted, right asshole?_

  
Once his breathing slowed, he stood slowly and began to dress. There was a second knock on his door as he was buttoning his shirt. He called out, “It’s unlocked.” Felix walked in and smirked when he saw him putting on his uniform. 

  
“So, you are coming back to class then? Good. I thought I might have to drag you.” Felix glanced around his room and wrinkled his nose in distaste. “Man, it’s a mess in here. Do you want me to help you clean up after classes?” _Felix… Always so clean and put together…_ He walked over to Sylvain’s bed and began straightening the blankets when he saw the letter from Byleth. “What is this?”

  
Sylvain walked over and tried to grab it from him, but Felix pulled it away. He read through it and looked up at him. “What is this, Sylvain? Why is the boar supervising your training?” Sylvain hung his head and turned away to grab his jacket. Felix grabbed his arm and spun him back around. “Sylvain. Tell me what this is.” Felix shook the letter in his face.

  
“It’s nothing, Fe.” His voice cracked as he said it and Felix glared at him. 

  
“What did you do?” Felix pushed him and he fell back until his lower back hit the desk. “Tell me what you did! She’s been in here worrying about you for the last week… so tell me what you did to make her write this letter.” He shook the letter in his face again but Sylvain couldn’t meet his gaze.

  
“If you won’t tell me… I’ll just go ask her.” Felix turned to leave but Sylvain grabbed his arm to stop him.

  
“Don’t... just leave it alone, Fe.” Sylvain’s voice was weak but it just made Felix even more angry.

  
“I’m not going to leave it alone. Why the hell would I do that?! Tell me what you did.” Felix was in his face and his amber eyes were fiery as he glared at him.

  
“I fucked up, Fe. That’s it. There’s no point talking about this. Let’s go to class, we’re going to be late.” He tried to push past Felix but Felix pinned him to the desk.

  
“How did you fuck up, Gautier? I’m not going to ask again.” Felix was hissing he was so angry.

  
“… I looked for a kind of comfort she didn’t want to give. She turned me down… and I told her I didn’t want to see her anymore.” Felix froze and stared at him for a moment. “I’ll try to apologize to her, Fe. I was up all night… I know I fucked up… I…”

  
Felix punched him in the face. Hard. He saw stars for a while and by the time he recovered Felix was gone. _You deserved that._ His left eye hurt like a bitch when he reached up to touch it. He went to the mirror in the corner and realized it was definitely going to bruise.

  
With a sigh he pulled on his jacket and walked out the door, not even bothering with the food on his desk. He trudged across the grounds to the classroom and got there before anyone else had filed in. He sat in the back corner and put his head down on the table. 

  
Sylvain heard Annette and Mercedes talking as they entered the classroom. Mercedes placed a hand on his shoulder and softly said, “How are you feeling, Sylvain?” They both gasped as he raised his head to look at them. “Sylvain, what happened to your eye?! And when did you last eat? You look too thin!” She sat down in the chair beside him and Annette pulled a chair up in front of him as they fussed over him.

  
“It’s nothing, Mercedes. No need to worry about little ol’ me.” He tried to give a convincing grin but she frowned at him.

  
“Now that’s enough of that. Come here.” She scooted closer to him and traced her fingers lightly over where Felix had punched him. As her healing magic washed over him, he sighed and relaxed slightly. She giggled softly and looked him over before turning to Annette. “Annie! Do you have any of those biscuits from this morning left over? I think Sylvain needs to eat something.”  
Annette clapped and grinned before bending down and digging in a bag she had beside her. “Oh Mercie! You know I always have a snack with me.” She pulled out a container and sat it down in front of him. 

  
He chuckled slightly and pushed it back toward her. “You should keep your snack, Annette. I’m not really hungry anyway.” He crossed his arms on the table and put his head in his arms.

  
Mercedes hummed softly and put a hand on his shoulder. “Is everything alright, Sylvain?” 

Sylvain was saved from having to answer as the rest of the class walked in. Ingrid and Ashe were talking about a story or something, while Dimitri and Dedue walked to the front and sat on the left side. Felix walked in last, still angry if his clenched fists and rigid posture told him anything. Felix scoffed when he saw him and sat in the front, as far away from Sylvain as he could.

Byleth walked into the room last with her arms full of books and papers. Her face was impassive, but it was pale and her hair was a mess. She looked exhausted. “Alright everyone, I want to talk a little more about our formations for this month’s mission now that we have Mr. Gautier back with us…” Everyone turned toward him and he winced before putting his head down again. She continued with the lecture as he kept his head down, wanting to avoid her gaze. She was putting him in the back of the formation, whether that was because she no longer trusted him or because she wanted to keep him out of it, he wasn’t sure.

Mercedes and Annette stayed with him through lunch. They chattered away about various things he had missed over the week he had been holed up in his room, but they didn’t pressure him to talk much as he pushed his food around his plate. Byleth sat with Dimitri and Dedue, His Highness was talking with her animatedly about something as she smiled softly at him. Her eyes were tired and Dedue was watching her closely with concern.

“The professor has been so busy lately.” Mercedes said as she followed his line of sight and saw Byleth. “I saw her running around the monastery late one night and I asked her what she was doing, she said she was still working! She works so hard to help all of us, sometimes I worry for her health.” She sighed and tilted her head to her fist on the table. “She looks especially tired today, I wonder if she was up late again. The goddess wouldn’t smite her if she relied on others for help.” 

Sylvain nodded slowly and turned back toward his food. Mercedes let out a small giggle and a dreamy sigh. “You know, when she first got here, I had a lot of doubts about her.” 

Sylvain turned toward her with an eyebrow raised. “Really? You did?”

Mercedes smiled softly and nodded. “She looked so young, even younger than I am. And she was so… stoic. She was always so composed and didn’t show any emotion. I worried that the childhood she had might have made her too… hardened… to enjoy being around.” She giggled and shook her head.

Annette tilted her head and smiled. “What changed your mind, Mercie?”

Mercedes smiled sadly and clasped her hands in front of her chest. “After the Archbishop told her about our mission to confront Lonato, she came and found me in the Cathedral while I was praying. I thought she was there to pray at first...” she frowned slightly and shook her head “… but she took my hand and begged me to help her tell Ashe the news. She was so worried she wouldn’t be able to help him… I had never seen her so distressed.” Sylvain’s stomach dropped and he glanced over his shoulder at Byleth. “That’s when I knew that she really did care about us, even if she couldn’t outwardly show it.”

Annette had a hand over her mouth as she shook her head, her buns swung from side to side at the motion. “You’ve never told me that story, Mercie! That’s so sad!” Her eyes glistened as she glanced at Byleth. “She’s so much more affectionate now. She’s really been trying to make sure we’re all taken care of.” She giggled and pointed past him. “His Highness certainly is fond of her.” Sylvain whipped his head around and saw her saying something to Dimitri with a hand on his shoulder. He was blushing profusely and shaking his head as he looked at his food.

Mercedes giggled and leaned on her fist. “Oh, I don’t blame him. She is very beautiful... Don’t you think Sylvain?”

Sylvain stretched his arms above his head before standing with his mostly full tray. “You know me, Mercedes. I can always appreciate a beauty.” 

Felix walked by at just the wrong time and shoved him into the table with a click of his tongue. “Insatiable pig.”

Mercedes reached out a hand to steady him as Annette stood and shouted, “Felix! You are such a villain! That was just rude! Apologize!”

Felix didn’t even turn around before walking out of the dining hall. Mercedes stood and rested a hand on his arm as he stared at the door Felix had left through. “Are you alright? Felix can be… harsh with his words.” She sighed and squeezed his arm. “Is everything alright between the two of you?”

Sylvain shook his head and stepped away from the table. “Oh… you know me, he’s right. I’m insatiable. Speaking of, there’s some lovely ladies over there that could use some of my attention. I’ll see you guys back in class.” He walked away quickly before they could say anything and dropped his tray off before running after Felix.

When he finally got out the door, he could no longer see Felix. It wasn’t hard to imagine where he was heading, though. He ran through the gate on his left before hanging a right to head toward the training grounds. Felix was several feet away when he finally turned the corner. 

“Fe! Fe wait up!” Sylvain jogged to catch up, but Felix wasn’t acknowledging him as he stalked toward the training grounds. Part of Sylvain’s brain warned him it was probably dangerous to his health to talk to Felix right now, but he couldn’t stand him being mad like this. “Fe! Please just wait.”

Felix slipped through the doors of the training grounds and Sylvain followed him with a groan. As soon as he slipped in the doors, Felix pinned him against them. “What the hell do you want?” He was seething, teeth gritted and eyes fiery.

“Fe. You’ve gotta talk to me. I told you I was sorry...”

Felix scoffed and dropped his arms with a look that said just touching Sylvain was disgusting him. “I’m hardly the person you need to apologize to. You’ve seen her. After spending all of her free time last week trying to make you feel better, you treat her like that? You threatened her, and she still worried over you like an idiot.” He clicked his tongue and stalked toward the rack with the training swords.

Sylvain followed at a distance, trying to think of the right thing to say. Felix didn’t give him the chance. As he was striking a training dummy repeatedly, he yelled, “I can’t understand what your deal is with her. You were rude to her when we were younger. You were furious when she showed up here, taking it out on everyone else around you. You pretend to flirt with her just like everybody else, but it’s even more hollow than your normal shit.” With a yell he hit the dummy so hard the head fell off. Felix clicked his tongue and shook his head in disappointment before moving to the next one. “You’re threatening her life, then crying into her shoulder as you hold her.” Felix swallowed hard and his swing faltered. “And then you try to sleep with her, and when she turns you down you lash out at her.” He swung around and pointed the training sword at his chest like if it was a real one, he would run him through with no hesitation. “So… tell me… what’s actually going on with you and Byleth?”

Sylvain sighed and his shoulders drooped as he looked over Felix. His eyes are wild with his nostrils flared, but his Adam’s apple is bobbing and the hand not holding the sword is shaking slightly. “Fe, nothing is going on…”

Felix screamed, “BULLSHIT!” and it echoed through the empty training grounds.

Sylvain paused to let Felix breathe for a moment. With a soft voice he said, “Do you want to tell me what’s actually bothering you, Fe?”

Felix grunted and turned back to the training dummy. “You can whore around all you like, treat people like shit, and use them until you’re done with them… but leave Byleth out of it.”

Sylvain sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Fe, I would never…”

Felix whipped around and his eyes were red as he stalked over to Sylvain. “She’s worth more than what you pulled last night, and you KNOW IT! Maybe that’s why you hate her so much, maybe that’s why you treat her like shit… but I’m not going to let you. Not anymore.”

Something heavy settled in his stomach and he felt like he might actually puke. “Fe… do you like her? Is that why you’re mad?”

Felix scoffed and turned away. “Like her? I’m not you Sylvain. I swore off love and romantic shit a long time ago. It’s not necessary to become stronger.” He dropped the sword back in the bin and glanced at the head of the training dummy that laying on the floor behind its body. “She’s my friend, she deserves more than you and all of the other people that are trying to take advantage of her.” He strides to the door and calls over his shoulder. “I don’t want to talk to you anymore. It’s making me sick.”

  
The day finally came to leave for their mission. Sylvain woke up early and pulled on his armor before leaving his room. He headed to the dining hall for a quick bite to eat and then walked to the front gate where they were meeting before leaving.

Most of the class was already there, only Mercedes and Annette were missing. Felix was standing near Byleth and wouldn’t even look at him. Felix hadn’t spoken to him since the day he had punched him. Not that he blamed him. Byleth whispered to Felix before walking toward him. He stiffened at her approach.

“Are you going to be alright? I want to check one last time before we leave.” She had a sad smile on her face that made his chest tighten. He missed her. She hadn’t spent any time around him since that night he had made a fool of himself. She had Dimitri supervise all of his training and report to her with any issues. She looked exhausted, and seeing her made his chest ache.

“I’ll be fine. I have to face him eventually, right?” He didn’t try to put on a fake smile. She would see right through it anyway. He wasn’t fooling anyone at this point. 

She frowned and put a hand on his arm and his nerves sparked at the touch. “Sylvain…” She swallowed hard and looked up at him. “… I won’t let him hurt you. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you feel better... But I’m trying. You have to make it through this.”

Sylvain shook his head and rested his hand on hers. “Byleth… I was…”

Flayn ran from the Entrance Hall and they both looked toward her. She waved frantically and shouted, “Professor!” Byleth gave him an apologetic smile before walking over and talking to Flayn. Sylvain watched as Flayn hugged Byleth tight and said goodbye.

Sylvain sighed and ran a hand through his hair. _She thinks I’m mad at her? She’s been beating herself up this whole time? Why does that make me feel even worse…_ He groaned and wiped his hand over his face as he walked over to his horse to mount up. 

Dimitri rode up with Dedue beside him. “I’m glad you are here, Sylvain. Hopefully after this mission you can find some peace.” Dedue nodded from behind Dimitri and he tried to give them both his best smile.

Byleth mounted her horse and looked over everyone. “We have two days journey in front of us to get to Fraldarius territory. The enemy has set up in Conand Tower. Stay with the caravan and keep an eye out for any danger on the road. For now, let’s march.”

~Felix~

Things got more and more gloomy the closer they got to Fraldarius territory, which was fitting considering his mood. He hadn’t spoken to Sylvain in weeks. Byleth kept pestering him about it and asking what was wrong but he kept brushing her off. It was just another wall that he placed between them, and he tried not to think about it.

As angry as he was, his thoughts always turned to Sylvain when he wasn’t busy. Sylvain had been doing better, he attended class and did all of his training with the boar, but his eyes were empty and hollow. Felix would catch Byleth watching him, concern written all over her face, and he didn’t know if that made him feel better or worse. 

They were going to reach the village close to Conand Tower tonight, so Miklan was going to die tomorrow. Felix hoped that once he was gone, things would go back to some semblance of normal.

  
The villagers had been terrified when they asked for any recent reports. Three young women had been taken as well as most of the valuable belongings they had. Miklan and his gang had killed anyone that tried to stand in their way. Everyone was grim as they approached the tower the next morning.

Sir Gilbert, _or the deadbeat Gustave… he wasn’t fooling anybody,_ walked up beside Byleth and said, “This tower was built for both surveillance and defense. It will be difficult to seize it. They may have already seen us coming.”

Byleth’s mouth was set in a thin line as she nodded. She grasped the hilt of the Sword of the Creator and circled everyone up. The boar was somber as he said, “Those villagers were so scared when we asked them for information. They didn’t look like they would be able to make it through the winter with the state the bandit attacks have left them in. If the thieves had taken up pillaging in order to survive, that would be deplorable… but understandable. But this… This is something else entirely. It looks as though they destroyed those villages purely for pleasure. And abducting women…” He shuddered and let the sentence hang.

Mercedes put a hand on Sylvain’s arm and gave him a sad smile as he said, “Miklan has always been cruel. We can’t hold back against him. He’ll do everything he can to hurt us. He’s not my brother anymore, he’s nothing more than a common thief.” Sylvain shook his head as his hands began to shake.

The boar looked him over before hesitantly saying, “Are you sure? It would be understandable to find this situation… well, regrettable, to say the least.”

A dark chuckle echoed from Sylvain as he hung his head. “Regrets? You know we’re far past the point of regrets. Miklan made every day of my life a living hell… He’s earned whatever he gets.” Byleth walked over and placed a hand on his arm in concern. “I’ll be fine. Let’s just get this over with.”

Byleth’s face was cold as she turned and walked toward the tower. It wasn’t her normal mask, if anything it was more terrifying and most of the class was giving her a pretty wide berth. _This is the angriest I’ve ever seen her… Miklan isn’t going to know what hit him._

Felix shivered with anticipation. He was mad at Sylvain, that wasn’t going away any time soon. That didn’t mean he wasn’t excited to watch that asshole, Miklan, get what he deserved. Maybe Sylvain would finally be able to go back to normal once he was gone. Sylvain’s smile from their youth flashed in his mind. His real smile that was far too frequent now. The thought of it brought a small smile to his face.

_Miklan is finally going to pay._

No archers had fired from the walls, so they assumed all the thieves had been pulled inside to defend, that or they didn’t know they were coming. Byleth tried the door, but it was locked. With a yell she kicked it in and drew the Sword of the Creator.

There was no turning back now.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confrontation at Conan tower. Miklan is... the worst.

~Byleth~

It was dark inside the tower, with only a few torches lining the walls. They could hear yelling and the sound of running people in the floors above them so they continued the steady climb to the top of the tower. As they rounded another corner, the sound of shouting was much closer. 

  
They had only been met by a couple bandits so far, nothing her students couldn't handle, but there were a lot more voices up ahead. Gilbert spoke softly at her right, “The enemy is close by. We are almost to the top floor.” She nodded in agreement and glanced at each of her students. 

Dimitri looked everyone over before quietly adding, “They are merely thieves, but Miklan has a Hero’s Relic. Do not drop your guard.”

  
Byleth could feel herself practically vibrating with rage as she stood in front of them all. “No one goes near Miklan. No one goes near the Hero’s Relic. I’ll take care of him. Everyone, watch each other’s backs.” Everyone’s eyes were glued to her, they were nervous but determination emanated off of them. Gilbert was solemn standing beside her.

  
Sylvain’s voice was hollow as he said, “Don’t hold back for my sake. My brother is going to pay for everything he has done.” She gave him a nod as she crept around the corner. Everything was a blur as she used the Sword of the Creator as a whip to take out two men at once, instinct taking over. Their cries rang through the hallway as everyone tried to keep up with her.

  
There was a shout in the back and Byleth spun to find Dimitri staring at her with a sword through his chest, he dropped in slow motion as a second swordsman swung at Sylvain’s neck. “Dimitri! Sylvain! NO!”

  
Time crashed to a halt and Sothis appeared before her. **“Byleth, you need to clear your mind. Your anger is making you careless.”** Byleth trembled and stared at the image before her. Dedue stood over his liege in horror as Felix rushed toward a not yet dead Sylvain, dread and anguish etched into his face. **“We will stop this, but you must focus.”**

  
Byleth clenched her fists and swallowed hard. She hadn’t used the Divine Pulse since the fight with Lonato, and the horror of watching her students die did not make the idea of keeping calm any easier. She took advantage of the frozen time to examine the area around her. The bandits had come from a secret passageway in the wall, who knew if there would be more. She turned back time slowly as she made her plan.

  
Time resumed and she lifted a fist to halt everyone at the corner. “Gilbert, you stand in the back and protect the students from there. Make sure you keep your shield up.”

  
Gilbert stiffened and looked warily over at her, “Professor, if I may…” She held up a hand and cut him off. He looked like he wanted to argue, but he held his tongue.

  
“You need to trust me. Please guard the rear.” His steps echoed as he followed her command. “Dedue, I want you to cling to the right side with your shield high. Ashe and Annette, stand behind him and wait for my signal. We need to watch for hidden passageways.” Everyone looked at each other in confusion before obeying her orders. They walked forward for a few more seconds before there was a sudden grunt from Gilbert. The two bandits with swords jumped out behind them, but Gilbert was able to intercept them with his shield. Felix rushed back to help and they were able to take care of them. 

  
As soon as the two bandits were disposed of, a secret panel opened on the right side and four bandits ran out. Byleth had been watching so she saw as soon as it moved. “DEDUE NOW!” Dedue had his shield raised as a woman rushed him with an axe. Ashe and Annette peeked out from behind his shield to unleash magic and arrows down the passageway. The screams soon faded and Dedue lowered his shield.

  
Gilbert muttered, “How…?” before shaking his head and continuing on. She didn’t have time to ease his worries, her eyes were peeled for more traps.

  
“Everyone! Keep an eye out, the fortress must have a lot of these passageways. Gilbert, stay to the back. Dedue to the right. Dimitri and Sylvain to my left. Felix and Ingrid, behind me. Keep Mercedes, Annette, and Ashe safe.” They shuffled around to get into their places as she continued down the corridor.

  
Everyone continued on for a few feet before another passageway opened behind them. Gilbert screamed, “It’s an ambush!” And Felix and Dimitri leapt into action beside him, taking out the four bandits that had tried to surprise them. They had successfully fended it off with no injuries. Pride bloomed in her chest before she pushed it away. _The Ashen Demon focuses on the battle._

  
They paused at the next corner as Byleth tried to get a look around. An arrow flew past the corner as she quickly ducked back. “Three axes, two archers, and one heavy armor are around the corner. Dedue, keep an eye on the rear. I don’t know if there are any more secret passageways. Sylvain and Gilbert come up with me.”

  
Dedue nodded solemnly and raised his shield to stand in front of Annette and Ashe again. Sylvain ran up to stand beside her, eyes wide but focused. She looked over to Gilbert and said, “Think you can distract the archers until I can take out the heavy armor soldier?” Gilbert nodded and with a yell he raised his shield and turned the corner. The sound of arrows hitting his shield was immediate as she slipped past him. Energy coursed through her as she whipped the Sword of the Creator to cut away the heavy armor bandit’s shield. The bandit yelled out in horror, before she stepped forward and cast a fire spell at his chest. She used her sword to give him a swift death.

  
Sylvain worked quickly to take out the archers as Gilbert ran forward to confront the axes. Felix and Ingrid were right on their heels as everyone charged forward. Byleth looked back quickly and saw more bandits climbing out of another passageway. She yelled out, “Dedue!” Dedue responded quickly, he lifted his shield higher as two bandits with swords slipped out. _How many of those damn things are there?!_ Dedue swung his axe and took out one, as Annette release a Cutting Gale that killed the other. 

  
Byleth stopped them at the next corner and looked everyone over. “Is everyone alright? I think we are getting close. I’m willing to bet Miklan will be all the way at the top. If anyone needs healing you should get it done now.” Everyone nodded their heads that they were fine before staring at her with eyes wide. 

  
As they were waiting Ashe turned quickly and shot off two arrows. There was a scream as a bandit with an axe fell just behind Annette. He turned to look at Byleth, his hands trembling and she took the moment necessary to walk over and hug him. “I’m so proud. You kept her safe!” He grinned at her as she released him. Annette immediately grabbed him into a hug and he blushed profusely.

Gilbert grunted behind her. “We should continue on, Professor.” _Right, Ashen Demon._

  
Byleth gave Ashe a small smile before she glanced around the corner. She saw that it opened into a room with a handful of bandits surrounding Miklan. He stood in the center of the room in heavy armor and held the Lance of Ruin. He looked older than she remembered, and the scar was huge and ugly across his face. A sick sense of pride spread through her before she squashed it down. His hair was matted and unkempt, it was obvious the years had not been kind to him, but it was hard to feel any sympathy.

  
“Sylvain.” She whispered and he came forward. “Miklan is around the corner. We’ve reached the top. Are you ready for this?” 

  
Sylvain’s eyes had a fire she hadn’t seen before as he stared down at her. “I’m going to handle him.”

  
She shook her head quickly. “He has men surrounding him. He’s in heavy armor with a shield and he has the Lance of Ruin. I don’t want you to get hurt. I’ll kill him, I won’t make you do it.”

  
Sylvain’s face softened as he said, “I’m going to make him pay for all he’s done. Have the class help take out the others, and you can stay close, but I’m going to talk to him. Maybe we don’t have to kill him. We could take him back to the monastery and Rhea can sentence him or something. I have to try. He’s…” his voice cracked and he cleared his throat “… he’s still my brother.”

She sighed deeply and circled everyone up. “This is the top of the tower. They are waiting for us just past here. The leader is in heavy armor with the Lance of Ruin, he has a handful of men guarding him. Dimitri, Dedue, Felix, and Ashe circle to the left side of the room. Myself, Ingrid, Gilbert, Mercedes, and Annette will circle to the right. When the guards are taken care of, circle Miklan while Sylvain tries to talk him down.”

Felix growled, “You’re kidding, right? You’re not going to let him confront him alone?”

He flinched when she glared at him. “Of course not. I’ll be circling around behind him while trying to keep everyone safe. Now follow orders or stay here.” He nodded his head and unsheathed his sword. She took a deep breath and looked to Sylvain. He gave her a nod as they walked around the corner. 

Miklan sneered as he ordered the remainder of his men to charge. Ingrid ran forward and took out one of the archers, while Dedue and Dimitri took out two swordsmen. Felix took out the only mage in the room, and Gilbert and Annette took out the remaining two archers on the right. Byleth kept an eye on Miklan and Sylvain as she slowly stalked to the back of the room. Miklan paid her no mind, his glare was meant for Sylvain alone as his companions died around him.

“Well if it isn’t my baby brother!” Miklan stood alone in a room full of his dead bandits, but he looked as relaxed as ever. “Why have you come, you Crest-bearing fool? Are you ready for me to finish what I started?” The class circled as she had ordered, while Sylvain stepped forward. Miklan laughed and hit the ground with the bottom of the Lance of Ruin, his eyes finally took in everyone else in the room. “Oh look! The pretty prince, the cry baby, and the nag. How sweet…” Miklan scanned the others before his eyes landed on Byleth. He sneered and looked her over. “You brought the bitch too?”

Felix growled out a curse and Miklan chuckled. “Oh look! She’s got a relic. So… you have a Crest too, do you?”

Rage flared in her gut as Sothis tried to calm her in the back of her mind. Her grip tightened on her sword as he took a step toward her.

“Maybe I’ll keep you with the rest of my whores. Put as many babies in you as I need to until I have a Crest baby of my own. Daddy would be so proud.” He chuckled darkly and raised his shield. 

Sylvain growled and charged as he yelled, “Don’t talk about her like that!” Miklan laughed as he batted Sylvain away with ease. 

“Sylvain stay back!” She rushed forward to strike Miklan’s shield but Miklan was surprisingly fast in the heavy armor. He dodged her swing and rushed toward Sylvain bashing him in the shoulder with his shield. Sylvain fell back clutching his arm as Felix shouted out his name and he ran toward him. Byleth placed herself between Sylvain and Miklan. She growled out, “I warned you that if you ever touched him again, I would kill you.”

Miklan laughed and turned to her and hit his shield with the Lance of Ruin. “Alright, if you’re that eager to die for the piece of shit, so be it.” Byleth dropped into a defensive stance as he charged her. He wasn’t fast enough, she dodged to the left and the Sword of the Creator became a whip that wrapped around Miklan’s shield arm. Miklan let out an agonized scream as the whip tore into his arm, making him drop his shield. 

Sylvain stood and rushed forward again blocking Miklan’s next swing and Byleth took the opportunity to land a blow to Miklan’s side. Miklan bent over in pain, trying to stop the bleeding in his side, as Sylvain stood in front of him. Sylvain’s voice was firm, even as his body shook. “I’m here for the Lance of Ruin. We don’t have to kill you, hand it over and we’ll take you back to the monastery.”

Miklan chuckled darkly and stood up straight. “I’m dead either way, I might as well take your bitch with me!” Miklan charged her and viciously swung with the Lance of Ruin. She deflected it once, twice, but the third cut into her side as she let out a yell. Mercedes rushed up behind her and cast a Physic from out of range, that swept through her as she continued to block Miklan’s swings. Felix and Sylvain rushed Miklan from behind.

Miklan turned and sneered. “If it hadn’t been for you…” Sylvain yelled out and swung his lance.

“Shut up! I’m so tired of hearing your bullshit! You’ve always blamed me for something that wasn’t my fault!” They traded blows with Felix circling around Miklan toward her, trying to find an opening in his armor. Byleth rushed forward with a yell and stabbed through his back.

Miklan fell forward with a shout of pain. “You’re just a bunch of spoiled rotten children. You can’t beat me!” 

**“Byleth… do you feel that?”**

A strange energy seemed to be coming from the lance. Suddenly the stone in the lance glowed red and a black substance began to ooze out of it. Miklan screamed in horror and tried to get it off but it continued to take over his body. Byleth’s head started to ache as the strange energy from the lance became stronger and stronger.

Sylvain’s face was pale as he watched Miklan scream. Byleth turned back to see the black substance as it completely covered him and grew, grew, and grew until it was at least 30 feet long. Miklan’s screams continued as black limbs with horrible claws formed. A head with a massive horn on the front shook and bellowed out a roar. The screams could no longer be heard, Miklan was gone.

**“That form… Oh dear…”**

_“SOTHIS! What the hell is that thing?!”_

**“A black beast, I have seen this form before… ugh! I cannot remember!”**

The beast seemed confused as it trampled into the walls and the floor began to quake. Her students panicked voices penetrated her mind as she looked over the monster. It seemed to have a shimmering magical barrier around it. Possibly from the Lance’s power? Something to consider later.

“Gilbert?! Have you ever seen anything like this?”

Gilbert’s face was pale as he ran up beside her. “No… Dear Goddess preserve us.”

“I think we’re a little past the point of relying on the Goddess. EVERYONE TO ME!” Her students scrambled over to her, terror written over their faces. I never should have brought them here. She pushed the fear away and started giving orders.

“There’s some sort of barrier around the monster. Gilbert and Dedue, keep your shields up and try to distract the head. Ashe, Annette, and Mercedes, stick to the walls. Keep out of range and hit from as far away as you can. Mercedes, save your magic for healing. Ingrid and Dimitri, I want you on the left. Felix, you’ll be with me on the right and…”

She was cut off by a screaming Sylvain, still standing in the spot he had been in while he watched his brother being swallowed up by the monstrous form. “Miklan?! Is that you?!” Sylvain’s scream had gained the attention of the monster and it rushed at him with a thunderous bellow. A ginormous clawed limb swung out and struck him, launching him into the wall. His head fell to the side as blood rushed from his ears. Byleth screamed as time froze.

She turned back time to just before he screamed, trying to make sure her class still had their orders as she sprinted forward. “SYLVAIN!” Sylvain was too busy watching the beast charge him to react. She pushed him to the side as hard as she could and turned as the clawed appendage smacked her into the wall. Someone called for her but she couldn’t tell who as she blinked away the stars in her eyes. Everything was in slow motion and there was a ringing in her ears. 

Felix and Mercedes rushed toward her as the rest of the students stepped into action. As the first of the healing magic washed through her she managed to yell, “Dimitri! GET SYLVAIN OUT OF HERE!” 

Dimitri didn’t question her, he ran up quickly and slung Sylvain over his shoulder, as Byleth stood to confront the beast. Dedue and Gilbert were trying to keep the head busy, but they were struggling to continue standing as the floor trembled with every stomp of the beast. 

“Felix! Quick attacks, in and out. Stay safe. Do you hear me?!” Felix nodded and gave her one last worried glance before dashing in with his sword. She searched desperately for weak spots as Mercedes magic continued to flow through her.

Ingrid let loose a strangled cry and Byleth whipped her head around. Ingrid had gotten too close to the beast, she was trapped under the back leg, her face frozen in terror. Byleth trembled as she froze time and summoned the sigil to turn it back.

“Byleth look! At the base of the skull, where it meets the spine. If you could manage to stab through there…”

It would basically be suicide. But watching her students die to hold the thing off wasn’t doing anything for her. She reversed time and watched as the beast lifted its leg and backed away, Ingrid moved back to standing. Time resumed and she shouted, “INGRID! GET BACK!” as she sprinted as fast as she could.

She watched closely as the beast lowered its head to snap its jaws at Dedue. She whipped the sword out to distract the beast and when it turned to face her, she leapt on top of it. Felix screamed her name as she straddled the neck of the beast. She brought her sword down with all her strength on the space between the head and neck of the beast and could feel her Crest surge through her. The sudden relief from her injuries was short lived as the beast bellowed and began to crash around.

She couldn’t see anyone as she concentrated on gripping the sword. Green fluid oozed out as the sword was ripped back and forth, the monster reared back and then crashed its front legs into the floor. It continued to thrash as she grit her teeth.

Suddenly time froze. _“Sothis what…”_

Sothis screamed, **“Byleth! Felix!”**

Byleth whipped her head around to see Felix lying on the floor, face down, his spine had snapped and his legs were at an odd angle that made bile rise in her throat. An anguished scream ripped through her throat as she trembled. _“Sothis… we have to go back!”_

Sothis nodded and stared at Felix. **“I do not know how many times you can use your power. Do it now. We must save the boy.”**

  
Byleth summoned the sigil and watched in horror as Felix’s body was put back together. The tail had struck him in the back as he had been trying to run in for another strike. He didn’t see it coming. Her body trembled as fatigue set in. It was getting harder each time to pull time back. 

  
Time resumed and she let go of her sword as the beast reared back. She dropped into a roll and barreled into Felix, knocking him to the ground a few feet away. He yelled in surprise as she turned around to face the tail. She tried to dodge out of the way, but she wasn’t fast enough. 

It struck her and the world faded to darkness.

~Sylvain~

Miklan… that thing is Miklan. He watched Miklan transform into a monster and his world crashed down. He remembered screaming for his brother, and then the thing had charged him as he froze. Byleth had shoved him away and he watched as she was struck into the wall.

“Byleth…” It slipped like a prayer from his lips but his body couldn’t seem to move. He was panicking as his classmates charged into action around him. Byleth was still alive and he sighed in relief. She yelled something his brain couldn’t comprehend, and then Dimitri threw him over his shoulder.

He could still see Dedue and Gilbert bashing at the head of the beast that used to be his brother and Ashe and Annette raining fire and arrows at it from afar as Dimitri carried him away. They rounded the corner and Dimitri threw him down. “I need to go and help! Stay here!” Dimitri’s face was pale and his body trembled as he ran back into the room with the monster that used to be Miklan. _The monster that used to be Miklan._

_Miklan… my brother… It’s like a nightmare. Wake up, Sylvain! WAKE UP!_

The sounds of battle continued and he could hear the cries coming from within as his body trembled. He stared at his hand that somehow still clenched his lance and tried to even out his breathing. _You have to go and help. You have to go and help or Byleth, Felix, Dimitri, Ingrid… everyone’s going to die. You have to go and help!_

  
He heard Byleth cry out, “INGRID! GET BACK!” And his trembling slowed. His fist clenched as he willed his body to go back in and fight. 

“BYLETH!” Felix’s terrified scream broke whatever trance he was in and he ran around the corner. Byleth was straddling the neck of the monster and holding onto the Sword of the Creator that was puncturing its spine. The beast was dying slowly, green blood splattered everywhere as it thrashed around, trying to throw Byleth off. Sylvain felt his Crest flare as he charged forward with his lance.

“Dimitri! Help me!” There was no time for titles as his friend rushed to his side holding his lance. They rushed forward and the beast reared back. “NOW!” Sylvain’s Crest poured strength into him as he threw the lance into the soft underbelly of the beast. Dimitri threw his right after and they both struck true. There was a sound, like a window shattering, and the beast bellowed as it thrashed its limbs and swung its tail. The black substance seemed to explode and began to fade away.

Sylvain’s eyes fell to the floor as the last of the blackness faded. All that was left was the Lance of Ruin, still clutched in Miklan’s fist. Sylvain fell to his knees and stared at his brother. Everyone screamed, “PROFESSOR!” and Sylvian whipped his head around to see Byleth, pale and crumpled on the ground. _No… no she can’t be dead. She can’t be. I didn’t get to tell her I was sorry. She can’t die!_ Sylvain couldn’t breathe and his chest tightened as he stared at her. Everyone seemed to throw down their weapons at the same time and run to her, but Sylvain was still on his knees.

Mercedes yelled out, “Back away! I need room!” before kneeling down to examine her. Annette knelt at her other side and looked to Mercedes for instruction. “I can’t feel a heartbeat!” Students stared wide eyed as they watched Mercedes put an ear to her chest.

  
Sylvain looked up and noticed Felix was pacing and running his hands through his mostly undone bun. He finally stood and ran up to him. “What happened?” His voice cracked and he felt tears running down his cheeks.

Felix stopped and Sylvain noticed he was trembling. “She came out of nowhere! One minute she was on the things back and the next she pushed me out of the way right as the tail whipped through. It hit her before I could do anything! Syl… I-I couldn’t do anything!” His body was shaking and his eyes were red and glistening with unshed tears.

Sylvain stepped forward and pulled him into his chest as Felix trembled, still staring at Byleth on the ground. Mercedes yelled out, “She’s alive! She has a concussion and some broken ribs. I’ve got her stabilized, but we need to get her back to the monastery.” Felix broke out of his arms and rushed over to kneel by Byleth. A weight seemed to lift off Sylvain’s chest as he followed.

Gilbert stood from where he had fallen and said, “Goddess… The beast is gone, yet Miklan and the Lance remain. Sylvain… you should be the one to hold the lance, nobody else touch it.” 

After looking at Byleth long enough to see that she was indeed breathing, Sylvain walked over slowly and stared down at Miklan’s body. “Miklan… my brother…” Miklan’s face was still frozen in terror as it had been when the black substance began to take over him. Sylvain stepped forward and shut Miklan’s eyes before staring at the Lance of Ruin. 

Ingrid walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. It’s over now.” Sylvain knelt on the ground and a sob ripped through him. Ingrid knelt beside him and hugged him close as the rest of the class migrated towards him. He sobbed and sobbed over the body of his dead brother for several minutes until he could finally breathe. 

Dimitri placed a hand on his shoulder and softly said, “Let’s retrieve the lance and leave this place. We need to get the Professor back to the monastery as soon as possible.” Sylvain nodded and reached out to grab the lance. As soon as he picked it up it glowed red and sprang to life. The energy that pulsed through it made him shudder. 

Byleth groaned and everyone turned to look at her. Felix was immediately at her side. “Don’t move. Mercedes says you broke some ribs.” Byleth nodded and winced before looking everyone else over.

“Is anyone else hurt? Is everyone okay?” Everyone was pale and trembling from the fight. Various injuries stuck out, and Dedue and Gilbert’s armor was destroyed, but Byleth had gotten the worst of it.

Mercedes rushed over to her and examined her once more. “Your Highness?” She called to him gently. “Do you think you could carry her out?” Dimitri stepped forward and nodded before crouching down beside her. “Dedue, help him lift her as carefully as possible.” Dedue stepped to her other side and helped balance her as Dimitri lifted her. She let out a strangled yelp as she was moved, but waved a fussing Felix away.

Even after being beaten to the edge of her life, her voice still rang with authority. “Ashe, Annette, Dedue, Ingrid, and Gilbert! Check those passageways we passed and see if you can find any of the abducted women. Annette, try and heal them as best as you can if they are hurt.” Gilbert nodded and lead the others out. Mercedes, Felix, and Sylvain were the only ones left in the room as Dimitri held her close to his body. “Sylvain?” She couldn’t see him from where he was, still kneeling on the floor with the lance in his hand.

He stood slowly and walked around Dimitri. She waved him over and he stepped closer until she could place a hand on his cheek. “I’m so sorry, Sylvain. I’m so so sorry.” 

Sylvain shook his head as the tears streamed down his face again. “It was like something out of a nightmare. He turned into a monster, Byleth.”

She smiled at him sadly and stroked his cheek. “Felix, hug him for me. Will you?” Felix clicked his tongue but ducked under his arm and held him tight as his body trembled. She winced and clutched at her side and everyone startled.

Mercedes lit her hands with healing magic and put them on her side before looking at everyone else. “Okay, we really need to get her out of here. Be as gentle as you can, Your Highness.” Dimitri paled as he looked down at Byleth in his arms.

Byleth put a hand on his cheek and smirked. “It’s okay Dimitri. I’m not going to break.”

Felix scoffed at Sylvain’s side. “You’re already broken, idiot.” Mercedes swatted his arm and he hung his head. His voice was soft as he pleaded, “Just don’t break her even more, boar.”

The others were able to find the abducted women quickly, they were scared but seemed to be mostly uninjured when Mercedes and Annette looked them over. They took them back to the village and the people surrounded them to thank them for taking out the bandits. Gilbert was able to give them some gold pieces in exchange for being able to use an old wagon. They hitched it to some of the horses so they could transport Byleth back to the monastery. Dimitri promised them that Lord Rodrigue would be sending them aid as soon as he could so they could make it through the winter. 

As they were about to leave, Byleth called to Sylvain from where they had placed her in the back of the wagon. He walked over with the Lance of Ruin and climbed into the wagon. Her face was full of sorrow as she looked him over. “Are you alright?”

Sylvain chuckled hollowly and gestured to her. “You have a concussion and broken ribs and you are asking me if I’m alright?”

She frowned and tried to reach for his hand before hissing at the pain. He dropped the Lance of Ruin across his lap and sat forward to caress her hand. Her voice was fatigued and her eyes couldn’t seem to focus fully on him. “Sylvain… I’m worried about you. It’s finally over, but I want to make sure you’re alright.”

He stroked her wrist with his thumb as he looked down at the Lance of Ruin in his lap. “I can’t even stand to look at this thing. It turned my brother into that monster… I don’t know how I’m supposed to wield it for the rest of my life knowing what just happened.” 

She frowned and looked down at the lance. “Can I see it?”

Sylvain immediately shook his head. “Are you crazy? We don’t know what it will do to you! Besides, you aren’t supposed to be moving right now.”

She smiled softly and pulled her hand from his. “I have a Crest, remember? Just trust me.” She motioned with her hand and he hesitated before gently placing it in her hands.

She gasped and Sylvain shot forward to take it back but she screamed, “No! Look!” He looked down and saw that the Lance was still responding to her, even though she didn’t have the same Crest. 

“Wait… what the hell? What Crest do you have?”

Byleth stared as the head of the Lance seemed to pulse with energy. “The Crest of Flames… I didn’t know it was going to respond to me.” She snapped her eyes to him with sudden clarity and whispered, “Go get Felix for me. I want to test something.” He raised an eyebrow at her but she whispered, “Just go. Hurry, before we need to leave.”

Sylvain took back the lance and stepped out of the wagon. He immediately spotted Felix about twenty feet away, glaring at him. “Fe! Byleth wants you.” His glare softened a bit as he rushed over and crawled in on the opposite side.

Byleth looked up at him and smirked. “Do you trust me?” 

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “What is that supposed to mean? You probably just saved my life, and you’re asking if I trust you?!”

She stared him down and he uncrossed his arms with a huff. She began to cough, wheezing slightly, and Sylvain reached out to stroke her hair as her face twisted in pain. Felix’s face was full of anguish as he watched her. When the coughing finally subsided, she rasped out a, “I asked if you trust me.” He nodded slowly and she took his hand and flipped it so it was palm up before Sylvain reached over her and placed the Lance of Ruin in his palm. It didn’t react to Felix.

“Why am I holding this?” Felix looked between the two of them but all Sylvain could look at was Byleth. Byleth reached over slowly and took the Lance in her hand and Felix shouted out as the head of the Lance began to pulse again. “Why is it doing that for you? You have the Crest of Flames… not Gautier!” 

Byleth shook her head and looked between the two of them. “Don’t tell anyone else about this. I don’t want to know what would happen if people found out I could use Relics that aren’t the Sword of the Creator.”

Felix’s gaze hardened as he stared at her. “They’d circle you like vultures, is what would happen. Everyone would want you by their side.”

Sylvain took the Lance from her hand gently and set it on the floor of the wagon. He whispered down to her, “No more touching. If Sir Gilbert sees, he’ll report it to the Archbishop.”

Byleth’s face paled and she tried to sit up before she hissed loudly and clutched her sides. Felix lowered her gently and growled, “Don’t move, idiot!” 

She glanced between them both before taking a hand from each of them. “The Archbishop can never know about this. If she knew…” Byleth paused and stared at the roof of the wagon. “I would be in danger if she knew. I can’t trust her.”

Felix and Sylvain looked up at each other before looking back at Byleth and nodding. 

Mercedes voice could be heard at the side of the wagon coming toward them. “Professor! I found a concoction to help you sleep so the pain isn’t as bad.” She appeared at the back and giggled as she saw the three of them there, Byleth still holding each of their hands. “Okay boys, I’m going to give her this to help her sleep. You guys should go get on your horses. We are almost ready to leave.” 

With one last nod to Byleth they both left the wagon. Felix grabbed Sylvain’s arm as he turned to walk toward his horse. “Listen… I don’t know what your deal is with Byleth… and I’m still mad at you… but you’re going to help me keep her safe, right?” Felix glanced anxiously back at the wagon before amber eyes stared into his.

Sylvain nodded slowly and softly said, “I promise, Fe. We won’t let anything happen to her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm struggling with writing the battle scenes. Sorry if they make no sense.
> 
> My Byleth is going to be a little more "Goddess blessed" than is necessarily canon. I just want to have a little fun with it.


	29. Chapter 29

~Felix~

The march back toward the monastery the first day was a dreary affair. They traveled as far as they could the first afternoon, trying to put as much distance been themselves and Conand Tower as physically possible. Morale was low due to the horror they had all just witnessed, and everyone was worried about Byleth. 

  
Mercedes had spoken to the village healer and managed to purchase some sleeping concoctions that would help her rest while they traveled, but whenever she was awake it was obvious she was in pain. The wagon was a blessing from the goddess, even if it did slow them down a bit.

  
When they made camp the first night, the boar tried to take command of the situation. Unfortunately, he was just as shaken up as everyone else was, so it didn’t do much good. Dedue was able to scrape together an easy dinner and they sat silently around the fire. As everyone finished eating, the first round of breakdowns started. Annette was sobbing into Ashe’s shoulder as silent tears trailed down his cheeks. Dimitri and Dedue kept a constant vigil near the tent where they had placed Byleth, much to Felix’s chagrin. He wanted to be there, wanted to be by her side. _Damn boar._  
Mercedes looked exhausted as she flitted between Byleth’s tent and trying to make sure everyone had all of their wounds tended to. Sylvain was staring into the fire like a ghost with Ingrid glued to his side. Felix was conflicted on who to worry about more.

  
“I’ll take first watch. Everyone should get to bed early. We can start the journey back at dawn, the sooner we get back the better.” There were slow nods all around as everyone separated into their shared tents, and the camp was finally quiet except for the occasional sniffle.

  
Every time Felix closed his eyes, he saw Byleth being flung into the wall, or being whipped by the beast’s tail. How did she know where to be? _WHY did she take those hits for us? It wasn’t just those hits, either. She had seemed to know about the hidden passageways and planned accordingly before anything happened. Was she just that skilled? No, she was running for Sylvain before he was foolish enough to scream at the beast._ None of it made any sense.

  
Felix clenched his eyes shut and gritted his teeth as his eyes began to burn. He had been getting ready to strike at a wound on the beast’s side when he had been pushed over. He cried out in surprise, before rolling over just in time to see Byleth’s face. She was pale and shaky, her eyes wide and mouth parted like she was going to say something. She turned and tried to jump out of the way, but the beast’s tail had swung too quickly. It hit her, and he watched as she flew past him and crumpled into the floor as he cried out her name. The air left his lungs and his limbs didn’t feel like his as he crawled over to her. He had been sure she was dead, he couldn’t even bring himself to check before the others ran over.

  
Felix felt a stinging pain in his hand. He looked down and saw the crescent moon shaped indents his nails had left in his gloves. He had to stop thinking about this. If he broke down now, he would be no better than anyone else. He stood quickly and paced around the fire as quietly as he could.

  
_I have to be focused. If I train harder, I can be ready next time. Next time she won’t get hurt. Next time everything will be alright. I just have to train harder._

  
A cry from Byleth’s tent broke him out of his spiraling thoughts. He rushed over as fast as he could and pushed through the tent flap. In the moonlight he could just make out her shape in the bedroll. She still appeared to be asleep, but she was tossing and turning. Her face was scrunched up and a sheen of sweat covered her skin.

He knelt beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Byleth? Byleth wake up.” She let out a grunt like she was fighting something and then cried out again. _Is she in pain? Should I get Mercedes?_ “Byleth! Byleth wake up!” He shoved her shoulder harder and her eyes shot open with a gasp. She grabbed his arm in a vice grip that would probably bruise later and tried to sit up before she hissed and wrapped an arm around her torso.

Her eyes were wide as she looked up at him. “Felix? You’re alright? You’re okay?” Her hand was trembling as she reached it out to touch his cheek, but she couldn’t reach without hurting herself. He inched closer and grabbed her hand to bring to his face. 

“Yes. I’m fine. You saved me.” His eyes burned again and he bit his lip to try and keep himself together.

“Ingrid? Dimitri and Sylvain? Is everyone alright? Is everyone safe?” She was still panicking from whatever nightmare she was having. She was having trouble focusing on him and her breaths were short and shallow.

“Everyone is fine. No one else got hurt, Byleth. Everyone is fine.” His brows were furrowed as he stared down at her. He understood her asking about Sylvain, but Ingrid and the boar? Why would she ask about them in particular?

She seemed to breathe easier as soon as he said it, melting back into her bedroll as the tension left her body. “Felix…” It came out as a whisper and something about it made his chest ache. “You’re alive. You’re okay.”

_Is it the concussion? Head injuries make people confused and disoriented, right?_ “Byleth, what do you think happened? Did you have a bad dream?” 

The blood drained from her face and she wouldn’t meet his eyes. She stared up at the roof of her tent and her eyes seemed to glaze over for a few moments before she finally looked at him again.

“Just a bad dream. It was just a bad dream.” 

He wanted to lay beside her, take her in his arms and tell her everything was alright. He wanted to hold her so he knew she was alright. The image of her crumpled on the floor still haunted the back of his eyelids. But he was a coward... he couldn’t make himself do it.

“Are you in pain? Should I get Mercedes?” He could tell she was already dozing off again. Her hand slid from off his cheek and landed with a “thump” beside her. Her blinks were slow as she looked up at him, the wrinkle between her brow was smoothing out.

“No… s’okay…” It was a mumble as her head fell to the side. 

He took a deep breath and watched her for a few moments to make sure she was asleep before crawling out of her tent. He raised his head and startled as he spotted a figure by the fire, but relaxed slightly when he realized it was Sylvian. He was standing there, staring at him as he left Byleth’s tent.

He whispered, “Is she alright?” 

Felix sighed heavily and walked towards him before stopping several feet apart. He softly answered, “I think she had a nightmare.” Sylvain nodded slowly and turned to sit and watch the fire. “Why aren’t you resting? I said I would take first watch.”

“I can’t sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I watch Miklan turn into that… that thing.” He scrubbed at his face like the act of doing so might take away the memory of what they just witnessed. “I also hate that you’re mad at me. I…” he sighed as his shoulders slumped “… I can’t take it anymore. I miss you.”

Felix was quiet for a long time as he watched Sylvain’s profile. The light from the fire made his hair look like beautiful red orange waves, and made his eyes a beautiful golden brown. The bags under his eyes had become deeper and darker over the last month, and his eyebrows seemed to have a permanent worry crease in the middle. “I know.”

Sylvain turned to stare at him. “I’m going to make it up to her. I don’t know how I ever will, but I’ll try. I swear, Fe. I’m gonna try.”

He sat in front of the fire, staring into it for answers. Part of him still wanted to be angry at Sylvain, but his brain kept replaying Byleth crumpled on the floor. With the way these missions were going, who knew what would happen. Hell, hadn’t Duscur taught him that? You never knew what was going to happen. “All I see when I close my eyes is Byleth getting hit by that beast’s tail. I couldn’t even check to see if she was alive… I was too much of a coward.” Sylvain’s face fell and a tear streamed down his cheek as he waited for him to finish. “If that had been you…”

Sylvain stepped closer and sat on the ground, but still left space between them. His voice was so quiet, Felix had to strain to hear him. “I know, Fe.” Sylvain sniffled and took a deep breath. “I know you hate it when I touch you…” he was still staring as the firelight danced on the side of his face “… but can I be close to you? I don’t want to be alone right now.”

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms, but didn’t pull away when Sylvain laid his head in his lap facing the fire. They sat in silence for a long time, listening to the crackling of the fire. Eventually Sylvain’s breathing became steady and Felix looked down to see he was asleep. Sylvain nuzzled into his lap as an arm came around to clutch Felix’s leg. Felix rolled his eyes and draped an arm over Sylvain’s shoulder and Sylvain let out a tired sigh. Warmth settled over his limbs and he let out a deep breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. He hadn’t realized how much he missed Sylvain until now.

He bent forward slightly and his eyes traced the curve of Sylvain’s jaw. They lingered on his slightly parted lips and his long eyelashes. The crease between his brows was still there. Felix reached out with his free hand and lightly brushed the skin where it creased. Sylvain sighed again as his face relaxed more fully and he drifted deeper into sleep.

_I don’t want to be alone right now, either._

  
They finally arrived back at the monastery in the late afternoon of the third day. Mercedes, Felix, and Dedue ran up to the infirmary to grab a stretcher to carry Byleth. Dimitri and Gilbert took the Lance of Ruin with them to report to Lady Rhea. Sylvain took off as soon as they reached the gates.

Mercedes frantically reported Byleth’s injuries to Manuela as they ran back down the stairs with the stretcher. _Who the hell puts an infirmary on the second floor?!_ She was still unconscious when they placed her gently on the bed. 

  
Manuela was looking her over when the Archbishop and her advisor stormed in. “Professor Manuela, how is she doing?” Her lips were thin with worry as she hovered over Manuela. 

Manuela’s brow was glistening with sweat as she focused her healing on Byleth. “Mercedes seems to have done everything she could. She has a concussion and some of her ribs are broken. There doesn’t seem to be any internal bleeding. It seems she’s lucky, considering.”

Felix scoffed and the Archbishop’s eyes flew to his. “Captain Jeralt should be notified. Will you find him and tell him?” 

Felix looked over at Byleth and then back at the Archbishop. “Fine.” He crossed his arms and walked out of the room. He stomped next door to his office and knocked harshly.

Jeralt’s voice rang through the door, “I’m busy!”

Felix cleared his throat and called back, “I think you want to hear this.”

There was shuffling on the other side of the door before Jeralt threw it open. “Fraldarius?”

Felix nodded his head toward the infirmary and walked back to Byleth. He stood by the doorway with his arms crossed as Jeralt rushed in and saw Byleth on the bed. Jeralt’s eyebrows creased as he walked quickly to Byleth’s bedside. “What in the hells happened? How is she?”

Manuela reported the injuries as Jeralt looked down at Byleth. “How did this happen?” The Archbishop looked at her advisor who shook his head lightly. 

“Would everyone excuse us for a moment?” Manuela looked confused, but shuffled out with Mercedes and Dedue. Felix stayed where he was. “Mister Fraldarius…”

“I’m not leaving her.” Seteth cut a cold glare at him, but Felix didn’t budge. “She took the hit for me. I’m not leaving her.”

The Archbishop smiled sadly and sighed. “You students have so much love for your Professor already. It does my heart good to see that is the case.” She searched his face for a while before saying, “Would you like to explain what happened?”

He grunted and shifted his weight on his feet. All three of them were staring at him and it was making his skin crawl. “We took out all the bandits before fighting Miklan. The fight was basically over until that damned lance began to glow…”

Seteth groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Language, Fraldarius.”

Felix continued, not giving him any attention. “… This black substance came from the Crest stone and turned Miklan into a fucking monster. The monster knocked her into a wall when she pushed Sylvain out of the way. I’m assuming that’s how she got the head wound. And she pushed me out of the way when it swung its tail at me, which I’m assuming is how she broke her ribs.” He took a deep breath in through his nose and out through his mouth. “She’s an idiot.”

Jeralt chuckled and turned back to Byleth. “Yeah, that sounds like my kid. Never would listen when I told her not to use herself as a human shield. Seems she hasn’t broken the habit.” He shook his head and buried it in his hands.

The Archbishop cleared her throat lightly and looked at Felix. “That story is not to leave this room. Is that clear?”

Felix furrowed his brow and scoffed. “You’re going to cover up that the Lance of Ruin can turn people into literal monsters?”

Seteth groaned and pinched his nose again. “It is not up for debate, Fraldarius. The commoners would turn on the nobility if they learned about what happened. The faith in the Crest system would crumble.”

Felix mumbled “good” under his breath but they didn’t pay him any mind. The Archbishop and Seteth left. Felix and Jeralt were the only people in the room with the still unconscious Byleth.

“Either come and take a seat or leave, Fraldarius. You hovering by the door is driving me crazy.” Jeralt slipped a flask from his belt and took a long drink. Felix shuffled over and dragged a chair to the other side of the bed. Jeralt let out a deep sigh and sat back in his chair. “So… I figure you guys made up, then?” He laughed at Felix’s look of confusion. “She told me about your fight. About you not telling her about your brother. I’ve never seen her so upset.” Jeralt’s tone was accusing, if anything it was more amused.

Felix groaned and ran a hand down his face, which made Jeralt chuckle. “I have things I need to tell her, too. We all have reasons why we keep things to ourselves.” 

Byleth holding the Lance of Ruin popped into his head and he stared down at Byleth. _She wouldn’t keep it from Jeralt, would she?_ He glanced at the door to make sure it was closed before he whispered, “There’s something else you should know.” Jeralt’s eyes narrowed as he leaned slightly closer to him. Still in a whisper he said, “The Lance of Ruin reacted to her touch. Sylvain and I were the only ones that saw it. She said that if the Archbishop knew she would be in danger.”

Fear and rage passed over Jeralt’s face in quick succession. “Damn it all!” He ran his hands through his hair and stared down at Byleth. “You and Gautier need to keep that to yourselves.”

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “We know that. We’re not idiots. The nobility would eat her alive if something like that got out. I was already worried enough as it was before this shit came up.”

Jeralt’s eyes flashed to him as he reached up to scratch his chin. “It’s more than that, kid. It’s so much more than the marriage proposals I’ve already been burning.” He rolled his eyes and groaned.

“What is it then?” 

Jeralt stared at him for a long time before he sighed. “You just have to look out for her, Gautier too. If she has you two on her side it might make things better.” He sighed again and ran a hand down his face. “You can’t trust Rhea with her. I can’t tell you why, because I haven’t even told Byleth.” He paused but continued to stare at Felix. “Rhea has me away so often I can’t keep an eye out for her as much as I would like to. Just… please look out for her.”

There was a knock on the door and the boar stuck his head in. “Apologies, I came to check on the Professor.”

Felix stood quickly and gave Jeralt a nod. “I was just leaving.”

He ran down the stairs and out into the courtyard. He looked for Sylvain’s shock of red hair but couldn’t seem to find him. He gave up eventually, and headed toward his room to pick up his bath supplies. He could tell him what Jeralt said later. He picked everything up and walked down the rest of the hall to see if Sylvain was in his room. He raised his hand to knock before a female giggle rang out behind the door. _Sylvain is already back to his bullshit, then?_ He dropped his hand with a grunt and stomped off to the bath house. 

  
_Of course, he is. Why am I even surprised?_ His stomach twisted as he soaked in the bath. He scrubbed at his skin until it was pink, before moving to his hair. _Why am I upset? It’s Sylvain! The guy is insatiable. We go through hell together and the first thing he thinks about is getting laid!_ He groaned and wrapped himself in his towel.

  
Dressed in his casual clothes, he walked the mostly empty pathway to the dorms. He grabbed a tray of food at the dining hall and took it back to his room. He didn’t feel like being around people right now. He shut and locked his door before sitting at his desk to eat. _At least I can’t hear them from here._ He slowly ate his food as the exhaustion from the last several days set in. After setting his tray outside his door for the cleaning staff to clean up, he crawled into bed. 

Sleep took him quickly as Sylvain’s voice echoed in his head. _“I don’t want to be alone right now.”_


	30. Chapter 30

~Byleth~

Byleth began to stir and tried to make out the voices around her. She thought she could hear her father… and Dimitri?

“Kid?”

“Professor?”

Both voices were full of concern as she fought to open her eyes. Her throat was parched and her head ached. She tried to sit up and was immediately reminded of the pain across her torso. _Oh yeah… broken ribs and a concussion._ Mercedes had been giving her stuff to help her sleep through the pain and it was making everything foggy.

**“You’re finally awake! That stuff she was giving you makes me feel so groggy…”**

  
She finally opened her eyes and was greeted with the sight of her worried father and a hovering awkwardly Dimitri. She was in the infirmary back at the monastery. “Jeralt?”

Her father cracked a sad smile and took her hand. “Hey, Kid. What do I keep telling you about taking hits for other people?”

She furrowed her brows and narrowed her eyes against the onslaught of the lights. Her voice croaked as she answered, “Stop with the self-sacrificing bullshit?”

Jeralt laughed loudly and she winced even as the side of her mouth twitched. “I guess it’s too much to hope you would actually listen to me. I know you care about the brats.”

She turned to Dimitri and saw he was nervously fidgeting, playing with his gloves and looking between them. “Hey Dimitri? Would you do me a favor?”

He immediately straightened to attention and stared at her. “Anything, Professor.”

“Would you get me some food and water from the dining hall?” Dimitri nodded quickly and practically ran for the door, probably happy to be of some use.

Jeralt chuckled and mumbled, “These damn boys…” under his breath before turning to her with a serious look in his eyes. “So Fraldarius filled me in on what happened. It seems Rhea is telling everyone to keep it quiet. The brats seem pretty scared about everything.”

**“That man… His form was changed. It was as though that lance was swallowing him whole. Upon that sight, it makes sense that your students are upset.”**

She sighed deeply and winced as it made her ribs ache. “You weren’t there. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. There was this weird magic in the air and the Relic turned him into that… MONSTER. It had to be the size of three or four giant wolves put together. It was…” She turned to him and saw how grim his face was. “… I never should have taken the students.”

Jeralt shook his head and sat back in his chair, taking a drink from the flask in his hand. “And Rhea is covering it up because Relics have the power to turn people into those things.” He hummed to himself and scratched at his beard. “I wonder if she knew before she sent you.”

Her eyes widened and her fists clenched. “She told me I would need the Sword of the Creator for the mission. I asked her to let me take you and the crew with me to take them out, but she was adamant that the students went. If she knew beforehand…”

Jeralt’s eyes narrowed as her looked down at her hands. “I’m sure she knew. She always knows.”

They sat in awkward silence for a while, neither of them knowing what to say. Jeralt finally cleared his throat and whispered, “Fraldarius told me about you holding the Lance of Ruin.” Byleth nodded grimly. It’s probably good he knows anyway. “You’re right about not telling Rhea. She already has far too much interest in you for my liking. It’s like all of this is some sick test. I mean, what if you had lost one of the brats? The nobles would be furious! What is she thinking?”

The image of Dimitri with a sword through his chest flashed before her eyes and she tried to swallow the lump in her throat. 

There was a knock at the door and Manuela peeked her head in. A huge smile split her face as she called out, “Oh finally! You’re awake! Jeralt, do you mind giving us some privacy? I need a better look at her wounds and I’ll need to get her into a gown.”

Jeralt immediately stood and headed for the door. “I’ll see you around, Kid.”

Manuela giggled and shook her head. “Such a peculiar man. Now, let’s get you out of those clothes so I can take a better look at the damage here.” She ended up cutting off the tunic that had been under her armor. Byleth had been in the same clothes since the battle because undressing was too painful. There was dark bruising from the top of her breasts down to her navel where she took the hit from the tail. Manuela cleaned her off gently before giving her another round of healing and dressing her in a white open back gown. 

“Now, Byelth. I’m going to need you to stay in here for the next three weeks. You’re on bedrest, no training and no teaching until you heal up.”

She immediately tried to sit up and IMMEDIATELY regretted it as the pain made her cough and her vision went blurry. She croaked out, “Three weeks? What about my class? I can’t stay here for three weeks?!”

Manuela’s face was more serious than she had ever seen it. “Healer’s orders, Byleth. You’re quite lucky to be alive if your injuries are any indication. Hanneman and I will work with Seteth to make sure your class is taken care of. For now, your body needs rest.”

There was a knock at the door and Manuela opened it to find Dimitri with the food she had asked him to fetch. “Oh, look at that! Prince Charming with some food for the patient! I’m almost jealous.” She winked and Dimitri flushed red before clearing his throat loudly.

“Ummm… pardon the interruption. Do you mind if I speak with my Professor?”

Manuela giggled and gathered some stuff from a table nearby. “I’ve got her all cleaned up. I’ll come by before I retire for the night to give you another round of healing, Professor. Remember, you’re resting!” She left and the click of her heels faded down the hall.

Dimitri walked forward and placed the tray on her lap, looking her over nervously. “Professor. I’ve reported everything to the Archbishop and the Lance of Ruin is being formally returned by the Church to the Gautiers.”

Byleth nodded and slowly started eating. “Thank you, Dimitri. I’m sorry I was… unavailable.”

Dimitri’s face was solemn as he looked her over. “We have all been so worried, Professor. Mercedes said she couldn’t find a heartbeat and we all feared the worst!” He ran a hand through his golden hair and let out a deep sigh. “The Blue Lions would be lost without you, Professor. You’ve quickly become invaluable to each of us.” His face turned dark as he looked up at the ceiling.

“You look troubled, Dimitri. What’s wrong? I’m fine now. Manuela says I’ll be back to my old self in three weeks.”

He stared at her for a long time before saying, “Professor. Would you mind if I discussed something with you? I would like your opinion.” She shrugged lightly and motioned for him to continue as she ate her food. “I was just thinking about something. Professor… the possession of Relics and Crests has been highly valued in Faerghus since ancient times. It’s far from uncommon for someone to lose their ability to lead their house because they don’t bear a Crest. Just like Miklan. It happened to my uncle as well. The eldest child of the king, yet he never ascended the throne. All families whose bloodlines carry the Crests of the 10 Elites are much the same.”

She swallowed the last bite of her food and put down her utensils. “That seems foolish. Strength is strength, Crest-bearing or not. Skill is skill, Crest-bearing or not. Miklan would not have been a good leader. That’s not because he didn’t have a Crest, though.”

He gripped her hand a bit too tightly as he nodded his head vigorously. “I feel the same. Ability cannot be measured by the possession of a Crest alone. Imagine what this world would be like if no one placed any stock in Crests… Bloodlines that carry Crests would dwindle. The metaphorical blade used to oppose threats would eventually rust. This same argument has been made time and time again across the years. Both sides are at once right and wrong.”

She squeezed his hand around hers with her free hand and he relaxed his grip with a blush. “What do you believe, Dimitri?”

His eyes widened in surprise before bringing his fist to his chin, seemingly deep in thought. “I believe those with Crests and those without should acknowledge the others’ strength and learn to respect each other based on personal merits. And that doesn’t apply only to Crests. The same holds true for lineage, race, faith, ideologies… If we could just accept each other and make mutual concessions, one step at a time… Perhaps… Who knows if that’s even possible?”

He sighed in frustration and she chuckled slightly. Eyes the color of the bluest sky dashed to hers as Dimitri’s eyebrows furrowed with worry. “Are my thoughts so ridiculous to you?”

She shook her head vigorously, making herself a bit dizzy. “No! No… that’s not it. I wasn’t laughing at you, but rather at myself.” His eyebrow lifted in confusion as he stared at her intently. She sighed and played with the edge of the blanket over her lap. “Sometimes I forget that you are the Crowned Prince of Faerghus. When I look at you, I see a caring young man. I see Dimitri and…”

“Dima.”

She startled slightly and her eyes searched out his. “What?”

He flushed and looked at his hands on the edge of the infirmary bed. “My friends and… my father…” He swallowed heavily and took a deep breath. “…they used to call me Dima. It’s been so long since anyone has called me that, but…” His sentence trailed off and she reached over and placed one of her hands on his.

“Dima." Dimitri's face held the biggest smile and her chest filled with warmth. "When I look at you, I see Dima. I have no doubt you will be a great King one day. I would be honored to live in a place where the ruler had the ideals you have. Too many only look out for themselves, and seek to gain more power. They forget about the people that need their help the most. You are kind and strong, and you look out for your classmates. I will be so proud, I just know it.”

His eyes glistened as a smile crept across his face. “I… Professor… you can’t know how much that means to me. Though… I fear I am unworthy of that praise.” The blue of his eyes darkened as his eyes narrowed slightly. “Professor, I must ask you a question. Everyone has something that is unacceptable within them. I certainly do, and I’d wager you do as well. I wonder which is best, Professor… to cut away that which is unacceptable, or find a way to accept it anyway?”

Her chest tightened as she gripped his hand. “Dima… I…”

Another knock sounded at the door and Archbishop Rhea stuck her head in. Dimitri shook his head and his eyes cleared. He stood quickly and bowed to her and then to the Archbishop. “Excuse me, Professor. I think I will retire for the evening.” Rhea smiled kindly at him as he passed before taking the seat he had left.

“Byleth, I’m so glad you are awake. The goddess is indeed generous with her divine protection. I have already heard Gilbert’s report of what happened. See to it that you keep what transpired at the tower to yourself. People would lose faith in the nobles should rumors spread of one using a Relic and transforming into a monster. All regions of Fodlan would fall into chaos. We must avoid that at all costs. Please ensure the students who accompanied you understand that as well. Have I made myself clear?”

Byleth tried to keep her face impassive as she nodded. Her stomach was churning with rage and fear.

Rhea’s face darkened as she clenched her fists. “His transformation into a Black Beast was nothing short of divine punishment from the Goddess. Punishment for someone arrogant and foolish enough to use a Hero’s Relic even though they were unworthy and unqualified.”

“Did you know this would happen?” 

Rhea didn’t even acknowledge her question. “Byleth, you have done well to complete such a difficult task. You have shown exceptional skill in leading your students. I am forever grateful for the safe return of the Hero’s Relic. Just as I expected, you have mastered the Sword of the Creator. Now then, I shall tell you about your mission for the coming month…

Seteth ran in frantically. It was the most undone Byleth had ever seen him. His eyes were wide, his hair was wild from running his hands through it, and he was panting as if he had been running for a long time. “Rhea! Archbishop!”

Rhea stood immediately and walked over to place a hand on his shoulder. “Seteth, what troubles you?”

Seteth’s voice was panicked. “Flayn is missing. I cannot find her anywhere! Professor have you seen Flayn recently?”

Byleth’s stomach twisted as she looked at him. “I’m sorry, Seteth. I just woke up. When did you last see her? Where have you looked?”

“I have searched everywhere! Where could she be?! She may be in danger! Oh no… No… no! What am I to do?!”

Byleth tried to sit up but hissed as a flash of pain ripped through her. Rhea left Seteth to push her back against the bed. “Byleth, you must stay here. Your wounds require rest.”

“No! I need to look for Flayn, maybe I can help. I have experience with these types of situations. I’ll gather my students and…”

Rhea put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her down into the bed. “No. I will send Cyril to gather your students and you may speak with them here. Ask them to help searching for information, but you are not to leave this room until Manuela has cleared you. Is that understood?”

Byleth nodded slowly and glanced back at Seteth. He looked truly awful and her heart ached. _Not Flayn, not her._ “Seteth shouldn’t be alone. If they took Flayn he might be in danger as well. Make sure someone is looking out for him.”

Rhea smiled softly and chuckled. “Of course, Professor.” She turned to Seteth and took his arm. “Let us go and discuss this elsewhere. Byleth, I will have your class report to you here tomorrow morning, it is alright quite late. We must not endanger the students. Goodnight.”

Byleth punched the bed in frustration as soon as they were out of earshot. **“This place is much more dangerous than I ever would have thought. That poor girl.”**

Byleth gritted her teeth as her fists clenched. _“The first couple hours after an abduction are crucial. I’m useless like this. Flayn could already be dead! Or worse! I…”_

**“Byleth, you must rest. You cannot help in your state, I am sorry. You will send your students out tomorrow morning to look for her.”**

Manuela entered the infirmary to give her the last round of healing. “Did you see Seteth? Poor Flayn.” Manuela’s lips were thin with worry as she healed her torso and head. “I’ll come and check on you in the morning. No funny business. If you go looking for Flayn you’ll just make your injuries worse.” 

Byleth clenched her fists and hit the bed. “I know you want to help Byleth, but you have to stay here. I’m giving you this mixture to help you rest. Alright?” Byleth nodded slowly and took a deep breath. She drank the foul tasting mixture and laid back on the bed. Warmth spread through her body and her mind went hazy again. Sleep took her quickly.

  
As Rhea promised, her class entered the infirmary waking her early. Mercedes and Annette immediately ran to her side and set a plate of cookies on the table beside her. Annette’s eyes were tearful as she looked her over. “Oh Professor. We’ve been so worried about you!” Byleth reached out her hand and Annette immediately took it. 

“I’m alright. Manuela says I’m stuck here for the next three weeks, but I’ll survive.”

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “You’re stuck in here for three weeks?! Who will I spar with now?”

Ingrid punched his arm and rolled her eyes but Byleth gave him a soft smile. He had been worried, and she knew it. He was just… Felix.

“I have a very important assignment for you. Flayn is missing, I need you guys out canvasing the monastery because I am stuck in here. I want you in pairs, if she was taken the kidnapper may still be out there.”

Dimitri was immediately on alert. “Flayn has disappeared? Seteth must be beside himself.” Byleth nodded solemnly, remembering how frantic the normally uptight advisor had been last night.

Sylvain chuckled and crossed his arms behind his head. “So… finding little Flayn is our mission for this moon? Leave it to me, Professor. Chasing after girls is my specialty.” Was he slurring his words? _Is he... drunk?_ Byleth cut him with a glare and he startled. Felix scoffed loudly and grumbled something under his breath.

Ingrid pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “Sylvain… even you must agree that now isn’t the time for jokes.” 

Byleth nodded and continued to glare at him. “I’ve had jobs like this before. The first few days are critical in a missing girl case. It almost never ends well. You had best keep that in mind.”

Sylvain’s face became serious quickly though he still swayed slightly as he ran a hand through his hair. “Right… I’m sorry.”

Annette grabbed Mercedes arm for support. “I hope Flayn is okay. I heard rumors about some Death Knight running around town…”

Felix stood straighter and got an excited gleam in his eye. “Sounds intriguing. I had been hoping to cross blades with him.”

Ingrid looked like she was going to strangle both of her childhood friends. “FELIX! Please consider how Seteth must be feeling right now.”

Dimitri stepped between them in an attempt to break them up. “In any case, we must start our search at once. Every moment matters. On your order, Professor, let’s try to collect as much information as we can.”

“I want you guys to report to me before lunch and before dinner. There won’t be any classes for the foreseeable future. I’m stuck in here, and Manuela and Hanneman have their own classes to worry about. Be alert, something about this doesn’t sit right with me. I have a bad feeling.”

Her chest ached as her students filed out. She wanted to tear the monastery apart. Flayn’s smile flashed before her eyes and she gritted her teeth in frustration. _Hurry and heal, body. I don’t have time for this._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the search for cinnamon roll Flayn BEGINS! (Well kinda. Gotta deal with a spiraling Sylvain first.)


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sylvain is spiraling.. that's all this chapter is. Sorry.

~Sylvain~

Sylvain woke up to someone pounding on his door, loudly. With a groan he sat up and rubbed his aching head. He had picked up one of the cleaners here at the monastery and brought her back to his room. She had snuck out later that night, but they must have gone overboard with the drinking.

Whoever was at his door, pounded on it again. “Would you stop the banging. Geesh, I get it. I’m up!” He groaned and stood to open the door.

Dimitri was livid when he opened the door. “Sylvain, I know you have been through a lot this month, but bringing a girl back to your room on a school night is unacceptable. There were… complaints. Are you really trying to create more work for the Professor when she is stuck in the infirmary?”

Sylvain went to stretch his arms above his head, but the motion made him nauseous. He dove for the trashcan in his room and vomited up all he had drank the night before. _Well… that’s pleasant._

“Are you hungover?!” Dimitri stomped forward and grabbed his shoulders with that freakish strength of his. “Sylvain?! The professor needs us to report to her immediately! What were you thinking?!”

Sylvain chuckled darkly and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “I was thinking getting drunk and laid makes it easier to deal with the fact that my brother turned into a literal monster that we had to kill. Any objections?” He scrambled to his feet and began to sway a little bit. Dimitri reached out and grabbed his arm to steady him. 

With a deep sigh, Dimitri let go of his arm. “Sylvain… I understand that you’ve been through a lot. If you wish to stay in your room I can speak with the professor and…”

The thought of Byleth worrying about him when she was healing made him worry. Knowing her, she’d leave the infirmary and track him down no matter how injured she was.

“Nah. I’m good to go.” He pulled an extra bottle of liquor from the bottom drawer of his desk and took a couple swigs that made his throat burn while Dimitri looked him over with obvious disgust. “It helps take the edge off the hangover, Your Highness. You want some? Might help you get the stick out of your ass.” He held out the bottle and winked.

Dimitri took a deep breath and ran a hand down his face. “No, thank you. Please dress quickly and report to the infirmary. That is all.” Dimitri left with a huff.

  
After dressing and getting as much of the booze smell off of him as he could he wandered up to the infirmary. He walked in the door and his heart immediately twisted. Byleth was tiny in the bed, dressed in a loose gown with the blankets pulled up. He blinked and the image of her pushing him out of the way and getting hit by the monster flashed before him. _I’m not drunk enough for this._

Mercedes and Annette immediately ran to her side with their plate of sweets. Annette’s eyes were tearful as she looked her over. “Oh Professor. We’ve been so worried about you!” Byleth lifted a hand with a small wince and Annette immediately gripped it.

“I’m alright. Manuela says I’m stuck here for the next three weeks, but I’ll survive.” Her voice was weak and tired, as she was trying to make them feel better. It didn’t make him feel better.

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “You’re stuck in here for three weeks?! Who will I spar with now?” Sylvain chuckled under his breath. He could imagine Felix was up all night fussing over her as usual. He was just trying to be… well… Felix about it.

Ingrid punched his arm and rolled her eyes but Byleth just gave him a soft smile.

Her voice was grave as she said, “I have a very important assignment for you. Flayn is missing, I need you guys out canvasing the monastery because I am stuck in here. I want you in pairs, if she was taken the kidnapper may still be out there.”

His Highness was on his best behavior as usual, trying to suck up to Byleth. “Flayn has disappeared? Seteth must be beside himself.”

“So… finding little Flayn is our mission for this moon? Leave it to me, Professor. Chasing after girls is my specialty.” It came out a little slurred and he started to panic when Byleth actually glared at him.

Ingrid let out a sigh. “Sylvain… even you must agree that now isn’t the time for jokes.” At least he didn’t get punched like Felix.

Byleth nodded and continued to glare at him. “I’ve had jobs like this before. The first few days are critical in a missing girl case. It almost never ends well. You had best keep that in mind.”

_Well… shit. She’s actually worried._ “Right… I’m sorry.”

Annette grabbed Mercedes arm for support and said with tears in her eyes, “I hope Flayn is okay. I heard rumors about some Death Knight running around town…”

“Sounds intriguing. I had been hoping to cross blades with him.” _Felix, always looking for a fight._

“FELIX! Please consider how Seteth must be feeling right now.” On instinct Sylvain took about three steps back. That was the, someone is getting punched voice and he wasn’t looking to be punched today.

“In any case, we must start our search at once. Every moment matters. On your order, Professor, let’s try to collect as much information as we can.” _His Highness the suck-up, ladies and gents_.

Sylvain was quick to get out of the room, wanting to avoid Byleth as long as possible. They still hadn’t really talked about when he fucked up a month ago and he really didn’t want to be around her. Especially not when he was still drunk. He needed a long hot bath and a nap. He started walking down the stairs, but he was intercepted by Ingrid.

“His Highness tells me you’re hungover… Really Sylvain?”

He chuckled and rolled his eyes, “Who knew His Highness was a royal snitch. Wait, that actually doesn’t surprise me. At all.”

Ingrid grabbed his arm roughly and spun him toward her when they reached the bottom of the stairs. “Listen…”

“I don’t want to fucking talk about it!!” It came out louder than he meant it to and people immediately turned toward them.

Ingrid’s face was red, Sylvain wondered if it was because she was angry or embarrassed. “Sylvain… ugh. Let’s just look for clues about Flayn, okay?

Sylvain groaned and rubbed a hand down his face. “What’s the point. You know how Seteth is, she probably just eloped or something.”

Her face had been red because of anger, or at least it was now. Before he could even hope to process anything, Ingrid slapped him so hard he fell over. That might have been because he was drunk and unsteady on his feet, but still. She glared down at him while he blinked the stars from his eyes. _Why are all of my friends so damned violent!_

“You’ve been through a lot this month, that doesn’t give you an excuse to be a drunken asshole. Go back to your room. You’re of no use to anyone like this.”

Sylvain glared up at her as he rubbed his face. “You aren’t my mother, Ingrid.”

Felix came out of nowhere and hauled him to his feet. “You’re right, she’s not your mother. She’ll beat your ass if you don’t listen. Come on, I’m taking you to your room to sober up.” 

The rest of the Blue Lions had shuffled down the stairs and were staring at him with pity in their eyes. _Pity. Great._ “Fine. I could use a nap anyway.” Ingrid threw her hands in the air and stomped over to Dimitri who was shaking his head. “I don’t need to deal with this shit.” They glared at him as Felix dragged him off.

“Back to your bullshit I see.” Felix was stern as he dragged him back toward the dorms.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just had a little too much fun last night and everyone wants to get on my case about it.” 

Felix rolled his eyes and flung open his door before shoving him into bed. “You’re being a jackass. If you think it’s going to help anything you are a jackass and a fool.”

Sylvain chuckled and leaded back in his bed. “Oh, I’m the fool? You’re the one who won’t even tell Byleth you like her. Hell, you probably love her don’t you… fussing over her like that.”

Felix’s eyes narrowed and his fists clenched. “You’re drunk. Ingrid already knocked you around once today, don’t make me do it again.”

Sylvain stood and stumbled to his desk, grabbing the bottle and taking another swig. “It’s probably good you haven’t told Byleth. Goddess knows half the monastery is in love with her…” Felix’s jaw was clenched as he glared up at him. “Hey! I know! Maybe she’ll become the next Queen of Faerghus! The Queen and her Shield… so sweet…” Felix’s punch came quickly and he was again knocked to the ground. 

He saw stars as he stared up at the ceiling. Felix was long gone and Sylvain sat up to grab the bottle and drained the rest of it. His limbs felt warm and heavy as he drifted off to sleep.

  
It had been two weeks since they had gotten back. Sylvain was down at the tavern again and the server was really digging him. She wasn’t bad looking either, or maybe he was just drunk. Sylvain didn’t really care. The buzz was taking away the ache in his chest, and if he passed out drunk then he probably wouldn’t have nightmares about Miklan again.

“So… my shift ends in fifteen minutes. Want to head back to mine? I can grab a bottle and we can… talk?” The server had a cute dimple on her chin and she had a nice rack. She’d been generous with her pours and didn’t ask too many questions. Perfect.

“Sure, baby. I’d love to… talk.” He winked and she giggled at him before swaying her little hips as she walked away. 

Someone sat next to him at the bar and ordered a drink before saying, “Drinking away problems like yours isn’t going to work, Gautier. Believe me, I’ve tried.”

Sylvain turned around and straightened when he realized it was the Blade Breaker. “Oh! Hey! I don’t know what you mean. I’m just here picking up girls. Just my usual nonsense. I’m sure you’ve heard all about it by now.” He winked and took another gulp of his drink.

Jeralt stared at him for a while before chuckling into his drink. “You aren’t fooling anybody who matters, brat. If anything, you’re just causing more problems for my kid while she’s supposed to be resting. All I hear about is you and the Flayn girl. Byleth is not even sleeping at this point.” Jeralt huffed and took another drink of his mead.

Sylvain had been avoiding the infirmary like the plague. He hadn’t gone in to report anything because he hadn’t been looking. He figured the prince and the rest of his classmates were taking care of everything and Byleth hadn’t come to kick down his door yet so he didn’t really care. He hadn’t been sober since they’d been back anyways.

Sylvain scoffed and took another drink. “It’s not my fault she worries about everybody but herself. If she hadn’t taken that hit for me, she probably wouldn’t be stuck in there anyway. She should just look out for herself. That’s what I’m doing.”

Jeralt’s eyes narrowed and he was probably about to rip him a new one when server girl came back. _Wait… what was her name? Erika, Erin, something or other?_ She draped an arm around his shoulders and kissed down his neck. “You ready to go?”

Jeralt was still staring at him with a weird look on his face. “Wouldn’t want to keep you from your… fun.”

Sylvain stood and threw down some coins, hoping it was enough to cover for his drinks. “Yeah, see ya.”

The girl giggled and dangled off his arm as she lead him around the corner to her place. They drank a little longer, but as she straddled him and tried to get him going, all Sylvain could do was think about Byleth. Eventually the chick got fed up that he wasn’t paying attention to her and she kicked him out.

_Fuck Jeralt. Fuck him, bringing up his injured daughter to make me feel guilty. Fuck me feeling guilty when I’m just trying to get laid._

He stumbled up to the monastery in the dark. The gatekeeper asked if he was okay but he just waved him off. He stumbled through the deserted entrance hall and up the stairs. All he wanted to do was go to bed, but his legs weren’t heading to his dorm room. The reception hall is dark and creepy at night. He ducked into an alcove as knights patrolled by. They either didn’t see him, or didn’t care. He tripped on his way up to the second floor and took a break while his head spun a little bit. He stood and walked to the right before finally making it to the infirmary. He hadn’t seen Byleth in two weeks. He missed her.

He opened the door and tripped on a goddess damned chair. “Sylvain?” Byleth was sitting up in the bed and a candle was burning on the side table. She sat up slowly and winced as she threw her legs over the side.

“No… move.” His lips were having trouble putting words together. _How much did I drink?_

She sighed as she laid back down and shimmied her body over in the bed and patted the spot beside her. _Laying down DOES sound nice._ He stumbled over and fell face down into the bed.

“Where have you been?” She was whispering. _I love it when she whispers, and when she sings, and when she hums._

Sylvain turned over with a groan. “Town… drinks.”

She stroked his hair and he sighed. _I just love it when she does that._ “I can smell you… and you look awful.” 

She scratched at his scalp lightly and he let out a sound that was somewhere between a moan and a sigh. Maybe it was both. “No… focus… Miss you.” Her hand stopped in his hair and he whined. “Heyyy…”

“How much did you have to drink tonight?” She started stroking his hair again and his body relaxed.

“Flirting… server… lots…” He tried to scoot closer, all he wanted was to be next to her. His face nuzzled into the crook of her neck and he sighed again. She shivered and he wrapped an arm around her waist until she yelped. He lifted his head as much as he could and then remembered her ribs. “Sorry.” He moved his arm slowly down her body and held her around her hips. She shivered again.

“You aren’t even going to remember this tomorrow…” Her voice was a whisper beside him and he pulled her closer. She kissed him lightly on the top of his head and then placed one on his forehead, he returned two on her collarbone. She shivered again.

“I’m sorry… messed up…” He wanted to tell her he was sorry. He wanted to tell her that he didn’t want to just fuck her… but his mind was foggy and he was so so sleepy. “Sleep?” He was already starting to drift off. 

“Yes, Sylvain. You need to sleep. I’ll watch over you.” She waved a hand and the light faded from the room. Sylvain took a deep breath and let himself fall asleep.

  
He woke up when someone shook his shoulder. Light was streaming through the window of his room and he still had his arms around someone. _Did I let someone sleep over?_ “Shit.” His head HURT. _How much did I drink last night?_

“Gautier. Get the hell up. You’re going to get her fired if Manuela finds you in here.” 

Sylvain’s eyes opened slowly, but all he saw was blue before he shut them tight again. “What the…?” Someone shoved his shoulder again and the someone he was holding made a noise beside him. He opened his eyes again and lifted his head a little bit. It was Byleth, he was holding Byleth. _I’m holding Byleth…_ He turned his head and sat up when he saw Jeralt glaring down at him. 

“You’re going to get her in trouble, dipshit. Get out of here.” Jeralt grabbed his arm and pulled him out of bed as Byleth stirred beside him. _Shit! What happened last night?!_ He was on his feet and Jeralt pulled him out of the room and down the hallway to his office before slamming the door shut behind him. “If I were any other father, I’d beat the shit out of you. But I know she would have done it herself if you tried to pull anything, so I’ll let this one slide. Just don’t make a habit of it. You’re lucky Seteth is a wreck right now or Byleth would be out of a job. Now lay down and sleep it off.”

Jeralt threw him down on the couch in his office and them stomped out of the room. Sylvain rubbed his temples and tried to remember what happened last night. _I was at the tavern… I went home with that girl… she kicked me out… then what?_ Sylvain groaned and rubbed at his eyes. _What the hell did I do? Jeralt is right, she would have kicked me out if I did something… right? That or I just made an even bigger fool of myself. I can’t believe I just slept with Byleth, just slept… what the hell happened?_

With a groan he fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh... poor daddy Jeralt. 
> 
> I don't like the cliche in some fics that Jeralt would be super overprotective about guys around Byleth. I mean... she's a badass woman who can handle herself. So my Jeralt isn't like that. 
> 
> Would he beat the hell out of Gautier though? Probably.


	32. Chapter 32

~Byleth~

Byleth woke up when she no longer felt Sylvain’s arm around her. She watched as Jeralt dragged Sylvain out of the room. Sylvain looked utterly confused and she sighed before laying back down. _He doesn’t remember coming in here._

  
Sothis appeared and sat at the foot of her bed. **“The boy was obviously drunk. He couldn’t even speak in full sentences.”**

  
_“I’m worried about him. Dimitri says he hasn’t been sober since we’ve gotten back to the monastery. He hadn’t even come to see me since that first morning when he showed up to briefing drunk. I thought he was mad at me or something.”_

  
**“The boy is grieving. It must have been difficult to see his brute of a brother turn into that Black Beast. I do not agree with his methods but…”** Sothis looked through the doorway where they had left.

_“Do you think he hates me? Between the night I turned him down, and then his brother…”_

Sothis shook her head and scoffed. **“You don’t truly believe that. You don’t truly think he hates you.”** Byleth sunk back into the bed and rubbed a hand down her face. **“He held you close and wanted to be pet like some cat."** Sothis rolled her eyes. **"You don’t do those things with someone you hate. You do those things when you are…”**

 _“Okay. Okay. Stop. That’s ridiculous. It’s Sylvain.”_ Sothis rolled her eyes and vanished.

Jeralt stomped up to the bed and crossed his arms with a huff. “Are you trying to get fired?”

Byleth groaned and sat up in the bed. “He stumbled in here drunk last night and passed out in the bed. I can’t really carry him anywhere like this. I figured it was best if he just slept it off.”

Jeralt narrowed his eyes and stared at her for a long time. “I never would have guessed..." He groaned. "Him?” He pointed out the door with his eyebrow raised.

She scoffed and crossed her arms. “It’s not like that. He flirts with anything that moves. Besides I’m half sure he still hates me.”

**“Liar.”**

_“Shut up, Sothis.”_

Jeralt sighed rubbed the back of his hair. "You have to be more careful, Kid. He's your student."

"I told you nothing is..."

A door slammed in the hallway. Jeralt turned around slowly and backed up toward her, ready to defend her if someone attacked. “What the hell?” 

It sounded like someone was throwing things down the hall. Byleth stood slowly and pulled her robe on. “That sounds like it’s coming from down by your office.”

Jeralt’s eyes darted to hers. “Or Seteth’s.” They both took off running down the hall before bursting into Seteth’s office.

Seteth was a mess, throwing books and parchment everywhere. Tears were streaming down his face as he sobbed. Byleth’s unbeating heart shattered in her chest. He turned to them and staggered. His hair was oily and in disarray, the bags under his eyes were dark like he hadn’t slept in weeks. He probably hadn’t. As soon as he saw them, he fell to his knees. Byleth walked forward and dropped down in front of him. Jeralt closed the door and locked it to keep anyone from seeing.

“Rhea is calling back the knights. She’s giving up.” Seteth’s voice was hoarse from crying. He dropped his head into his hands. “She’s giving up on Flayn. Flayn is gone… she’s all I had and she’s gone.”

Byleth stroked the back of his head and craned her neck back to look at Jeralt. His face was pale and his lip was quivering. If she was the one who had been taken… would he be like this?

Byleth leaned down until she was staring into his eyes. “I’m going to find her, Seteth.”

Jeralt spoke softly behind her. “Kid…”

Seteth grabbed her shoulders with more strength than she thought him capable of in the state he was in. “Please. I beg of you! Lend me your aid! I’ve lost everyone else. She’s all I have… I…” She nodded and placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“Seteth, you need to rest. Where is your room?” 

Seteth nodded slowly and she helped him up to the third floor. It was a room just off of Rhea’s. She helped him onto his bed and he curled into a ball on the bed. “I won’t come back until I have her, Seteth. I swear it.”

Jeralt was standing in the doorway as she walked out. “Kid… It’s been two weeks. I know you liked that girl, but you know how these things go.”

“I’m going to find her. Are you coming with me or not?” Jeralt sighed and followed as she walked back to the infirmary to pick up her things. When she looked around, she realized Manuela hadn’t been by that morning. “Where is Manuela? Normally she’s here by now.” 

“I ran into her early this morning. She was holding a mask of some sort. She seemed frantic, but I didn’t ask any questions.”

“Wait… a mask like the one that creepy Jeritza guy wears?” Something twisted in her gut and she knew she needed to find Jeritza and Manuela, fast.

Jeralt’s eyes narrowed as he whispered, “You think…?”

Byleth sighed and walked out of the infirmary. She headed down the stairs and toward her room. “I need my armor and my sword.”

“Kid, you’re in no condition to fight.”

“It’s either my armor, or I ask questions in my bathrobe.” Jeralt groaned and followed her to her room where she got into her armor as quickly as she could.

**“Are you sure this is a good idea? I feel your worry for the girl, and I know you feel bad for the advisor, but you are still healing.”**

_“We don’t even know for sure if it’s going to be a fight. I just want to be prepared.”_

She walked out of her room and saw Catherine heading out of the training grounds. “Byleth? What are you doing out of the infirmary? Lady Rhea said you were supposed to be out for another week.”

“Have you seen Jeritza?”

Catherine lifted a brow and looked her over. “He was supposed to meet me at the training grounds this morning but he bailed. Why?”

Byleth shrugged and said, “Call it a feeling.” She turned on her heel and ran toward the classrooms. The Black Eagles doorway was open and Edelgard was standing near the door. “Edelgard, have you seen your Professor yet this morning?”

Edelgard rolled her eyes. “No. We all assumed she was hungover and running late. We were about to give up and leave. You really should have picked the Black Eagles, Professor.” She threw her hair behind her shoulder. “Why do you ask?” 

She nodded to Edelgard. “We have to go. I’ll fill you in later.” They ran toward the Blue Lion’s classroom. “We’re going to need weapons.”

Jeralt sighed and rubbed down his face. “Knight’s hall should have plenty. Jeritza’s quarters are just down from there. We should start there.” _I forgot how much I missed working with Jeralt. I miss not having to explain everything, how he always knows what I’m thinking…_

They opened the doors and most of her class was there. “Professor?!” Dimitri ran toward her. “What are you doing out of the infirmary? You should be laying down.”

“No time. I might have a lead on Flayn.” Everyone scrambled toward her eagerly. The only ones missing were Sylvain and Felix. She turned to Jeralt. “Sylvain?” 

“Passed out in my office.” 

She groaned and ran a hand down her face. _Do I even want him around? …Maybe his nap will have him in a state where he can fight. Maybe._ “Ingrid, run to the training grounds and get Felix. Dimitri, run to my father’s office and wake up Sylvain. Tell them I need them and meet us at the gate to the knight’s quarters. Run!”

They both took off as the rest of the class started murmuring amongst themselves. “We are going to the Knight’s hall to grab weapons. I believe Jeritza may have been involved with Flayn’s disappearance. Manuela may have stumbled across the same thing, and she may be in danger. We need to act fast.” Everyone followed close behind and grabbed the weapons necessary for their classmates once they got to the knight’s hall. When they reached the gate to the knight’s residences Dimitri, Ingrid, Felix, and a very hungover Sylvain were standing there.

“Let’s go. No time to lose.” 

Jeralt showed them the way to Jeritza’s residence and she pounded on the door. They got no answer. She turned to Jeralt and with a shrug said, “If we’re wrong, we can just say sorry?” With a shout he kicked in the door. Her students let out a confused shout, but it turned into several gasps. As soon as it opened, they found Manuela on the floor in a pool of blood.

Mercedes immediately ran to her side. “She’s still breathing, but she’s lost a lot of blood.” 

Jeralt walked closer and looked her over. “Kid, look at her finger.”

“It looks like she’s pointing…” She followed where she pointed and saw a bookcase. “Hey Dima, will you help me with this?” Someone took in a sharp breath but she didn’t take the time to figure out who it was. Dimitri shoved the bookcase to the side and there was a passageway leading down.

Jeralt growled behind her. “That bastard has been under the monastery with the girl this whole time?!”

Professor Hanneman burst through the doorway, looking at the broken door and then at her. “What in the blazes is going on here?” He then noticed Manuela passed out on the floor. “Manuela?!”

“Hanneman, she’s alive but she needs to be taken to the infirmary. We think Jeritza took Flayn and when Manuela discovered him, he stabbed her. We’re going to pursue him.”

Hanneman looked her over. _Why is everyone doing that?_ “You are still healing, you can’t possibly…”

“Hanneman, take her now. Sylvain, help him.”

Sylvain stepped in front of her and shook his head. “I can’t leave, you’re still injured. You’ll need my help! I need to be here!”

She put a hand on his cheek and stared into his eyes. “You can’t help me as you are right now.” Hurt crossed Sylvain’s face as his shoulders sagged. “Please help Hanneman and Manuela, okay? Jeralt and everyone else will be here with me. I’ll be fine. Go.” 

Hanneman was already working on lifting Manuela’s arms as Sylvain walked over and grabbed her legs. As they carried her out Sylvain took one last glance at her over his shoulder. All she saw was the pain in his eyes as he left.

_“I hurt him, Sothis.”_

**“You were right, he cannot help you as he is. And you cannot help Flayn if you are too busy thinking about the philanderer. Get going!”**

She shook her head and looked over her very nervous students. “Are you ready? I don’t know what we’ll find down there.” 

Felix gripped the hilt of his sword so hard his knuckles were white. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

Byleth nodded quickly. “I’ll lead down the staircase, everyone stay close.” 

She began the descent down the stairs and Jeralt was close behind her. The staircase was long and dark, the only sounds she heard were the sounds of her student’s nervous breathing and their footsteps. When they descended further, she could make out the light at the end. As they got closer, she could hear the shuffling of footsteps and voices. 

She held up a fist to stop everyone, just before they exited the tunnel. She crept up to the edge and stuck her head around the corner. What she saw took her breath away. This was no small cavern, it opened up into a huge underground passage. And it wasn’t just Jeritza down here, there were multiple soldiers wearing uniforms similar to the ones the people who tried to raid the Holy Mausoleum were wearing.

She turned back to join her class and Jeralt immediately whispered, “What are we looking at, Kid?”

She tilted her head to the side and looked over her students, none of whom were in proper armor. She sighed and turned to Jeralt. “It’s not just Jeritza down here. It opens to a huge passageway, and there are a lot of soldiers. They are wearing uniforms similar to the ones of the people who attempted to raid the Holy Mausoleum.”

Jeralt put a hand to his chin. “You think it’s all connected somehow.”

She shrugged. “It has to be. We don’t have time to ponder it now, though.” She looked up at her students, trying to crowd so they could hear her whispers. “Jeralt and I will take point on this one. You guys aren’t wearing your proper armor so we will be staying together. No one does anything foolish. Do you understand?” Everyone nodded and she turned on her heel to lead them out of the tunnel.

As soon as they walked out the soldiers began screaming to one another and charging. Jeralt ran out in front of her and took out a swordsman and a lancer. _At least they aren’t very skilled, we may be able to handle this._ She dodged out of the way of an arrow and glanced up to find two rogues with bows aiming toward her students. A blast of wind was sent past her and one of bowmen flew back into the wall behind him. An arrow struck the other one in the neck and she smiled. _Ashe’s aim is getting better._ She whipped out the Sword of the Creator and felt her Crest flare as she cut down a lancer. Healing warmth coursed through her and lessened the pain in her torso and she let out a sigh.

She gave their surroundings a better look now that they had cut down all the enemies in the near vicinity. “There’s a gate in front of us. Search the pockets of those we cut down, one of them must have a key.” 

Annette called out, “I found it Professor!” And ran up to hand it to her. 

“Everyone, behind the walls.” Once everyone was out of the way, she unlocked the gate. Immediately a fireball caught her shoulder and she hissed. Jeralt ran past her and took out two of the mages before they could fire off any other spells. Mercedes tended to her shoulder as the class took out the remaining enemies in the area. “We need another key for the next gate.” The class filed around and searched pockets of the fallen soldiers.

“I’ll unlock it this time, Kid.” Jeralt held up the key and they repeated their earlier plan of having the students take cover while the gate was opened. However, no attack came. “Kid…” Jeralt whispered and nodded toward the walls. _Arrow slits in the walls and a gate on each side. Shit._

Jeralt stepped over to take cover and she crept over to Ashe. She whispered, “There’s arrow slits in the walls and gates on each side. You have the only bow. Would you like me to handle it?”

He grinned slyly and leaned forward. “Actually Professor, I think I can pick the locks. You should take the bow.”

She raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. “Alright, story for later I suppose. Hand me your bow, I’ll check things out.” He handed it to her and she signaled her class to stay put. Ashe followed as she crept through the hallway, Jeralt close behind them. She ducked under the arrow slits in the walls and crept forward silently, thanking herself for stealth training. She poked a head out to look through the gate and saw two mages, but no opening past the gate. She drew the bow and shot one of the mages through the neck, before quickly redrawing and taking out the other mage before he could fire off a spell.

She nodded to the gate on the other side of the hallway and headed toward it. A heavy armor soldier and a bowman. She nodded to the lock and Ashe ran forward to start picking it. She nodded to Jeralt to guard him as she ran back to grab her students. Ashe already had the lock picked when they ran forward and Jeralt had taken out the heavy armor soldier. He had an arrow in his shoulder as he rushed the bowman. 

Ashe knelt down to pick the next lock as the class took cover.

Dimitri whispered, “There seems to be a lot more soldiers on the other side.” Byleth nodded and looked over the students. None of the students had any injuries, and Mercedes had already taken care of the arrow in Jeralt’s shoudler.

“We must be getting close to where they are keeping Flayn. Leave Jeritza to Jeralt and I, no one goes near him. Not even you Felix.” She turned her head towards him and he scoffed but nodded.

The clanking of the gate sounded and Byleth and Jeralt charged in with the students behind them. There were far more soldiers in this area, and it narrowed to a single door at the end. The Sword of the Creator whipped out and took out two of the archers in the room. Felix shouted “Byleth!” and took out a swordsman who had been rushing her. With a quick nod she headed forward to help Jeralt clear the rest of the room.

The door at the end of the hall opened, seemingly from the inside, and Byleth’s breath hitched. The knight from the Holy Mausoleum sat waiting, holding a scythe atop his black horse. Jeralt glanced back at her and she shook her head. She shouted, “Jeritza must be the Death Knight we’ve been hearing so much about. Everyone, head back to the other room.”

Dimitri stepped to her side. “No, Professor. We need to stay to help you and Jeralt.” A mage stepped into the doorway and blasted a fireball toward the Prince. 

She shouted, “Dima!” and rushed him, knocking both of them to the ground. The pain in her torso flared and she yelled out in pain as she landed on top of him. He rolled them over so he was shielding her and she pounded on his chest. “You’re the damned Prince of Faerghus! No heroics for you!” 

He glared down at her. “You are already injured!”

Dedue stepped in front of them, killing a mage with his axe. He was blocking her view of what was going on in the next room. “Your Highness, now is not the time.”

Byleth shoved Dimitri off right as Jeralt let out a cry of pain. She rushed past Dedue and saw that Jeralt had continued into the room without her. The Death Knight had struck him in the side and Jeralt was trying to dodge his swings, but struggling with the blood loss from his wound. 

With a cry of rage, she sprinted into the room. The Sword of the Creator formed a whip that she swept out to take out the legs of the horse. The horse let out a whinny of pain and crumbled onto its side. The Death Knight dismounted and rolled away just in time to avoid being trapped. The red eyes of the mask flashed to her, “It is you. One of us will live, the other will die. I will enjoy this dance of damnation.”

The Death Knight ran forward to confront her, and Jeralt circled behind him. As the Death Knight swung at her with the scythe, she used the Sword of the Creator to deflect the blow. Her ribs seared with pain and she grit her teeth against it. Jeralt jabbed at a sensitive point in the knight’s armor at the shoulder and the knight yelled out in pain.

A flash of pink light flashed in the corner of her eye and a new, distorted voice cried out, “Halt! You’re having a bit too much fun.”

The Death Knight swung at her again and she parried the blow. The Death Knight hissed out, “You are getting in the way of my game.” 

The new voice called, “You’ll have more opportunities to play soon. Your work here is done.”

The Death Knight drew back his weapon and a flash of pink light seemed to envelop him and his injured horse as he said, “Understood. I will go…” He was gone.

Byleth dropped into a defensive stance and held out the Sword of the Creator towards the new enemy. It was a knight in heavy armor, with a huge axe and shield. They wore a red and white mask, and a red feather stuck out from the top of their helmet. The enemy turned to her and said, “We will meet again. I am the Flame Emperor… It is I who will reforge the world.” She lunged forward to attack, but in another flash of pink the enemy was gone.

She turned to Jeralt and saw he was sitting against the wall holding his side. “MERCEDES!” The young girl sprinted into the room and to Jeralt’s side, healing magic already in her palms. Byleth surveyed the room and her eyes landed on two forms in the corner, one with green hair and one with red. “Annette! I need your help too!” Byleth immediately ran forward and knelt by the form with the green hair. She flipped it over and sighed with relief when she saw Flayn. She put her hand on Flayn’s forehead and summoned her faith magic. She felt no wounds, though she had lost a lot of blood. 

“Annette, check the other one. Flayn seems fine, she just lost a lot of blood.” Annette knelt down and checked the other form. It looked like a girl with short red hair. 

Annette turned to her, “She should be fine, just a slight head wound.”

Byleth nodded. “We need to get both of these girls to the infirmary. Dimitri! Dedue!” They ran up behind her as she stood. “Dimitri, take Flayn. Dedue, grab the other girl. We need to get them to the infirmary.” She ran over to Jeralt and Mercedes. “How is he Mercedes?”

She looked up to her and gave a soft smile. “I’ve got him all patched up.”

Byleth glared down at Jeralt as he grimaced up at her. “You weren’t supposed to charge ahead! How were you going to take out the guards and the Death Knight by yourself?!” She put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes.

Jeralt chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. “You were busy with the Prince over there. I figured that was more important.” She reached out her hand and pulled him to standing. 

“Let’s go. We have to give Seteth the good news!” She ran out of the room and her students laughed loudly and called after her as she ran back to the tunnel.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Catherine and Shamir were there with a group of knights. Shamir raised a brow and said, “Well?”

“We found her as well as another captive. They are both fine, just minor injuries. Captors got away with some sort of warp magic. It was the Death Knight, the one from the Holy Mausoleum, and a new enemy that called themselves the Flame Emperor.” 

Catherine sighed in relief and ran a hand through her hair. “Thank the goddess. Seteth will be thrilled.” She turned to the knight’s behind her. “Let’s see if we can find any clues to where they ran off to, and take out any stragglers.” They got out of the way so her class could exit Jeritza’s room, before heading down into the tunnel.

As her class headed to the infirmary on the second floor, she ran up the stairs to the third. She knocked lightly on Seteth’s door and he called out in a scratchy voice, “Come in.”

She opened the door and saw Seteth laying in his bed. He shot to a sitting position when he saw her and she felt a strain in her cheeks. “We got her. She’s in the infirmary right now.” Seteth ran toward her and she turned to lead the way as they both ran down the stairs to the infirmary.

Sylvain was sitting on the floor outside of the infirmary with his head in his hands when she ran around the corner. Seteth ran past her into the infirmary as she stopped in front of him. His head raised when he saw her shoes and he scrambled to his feet. Before she could react, he pulled her into a hug so tight it made her yelp in pain. He loosened his grip, but didn’t let her go. “I saw everyone else run in, but no one knew where you were and…” His voice was thin with worry as he rambled, still holding her.

She patted his side and she stepped back as he dropped his arms. “I’m fine, Sylvain. I told you I would be.” She tilted her head and looked him over. He looked miserable, he had bags under his eyes and his skin was pale. 

“I’m so sorry, Byleth. I’ve been such an ass and I…”

She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. “We need to talk… later. For now, I want to check on Flayn. How about we have tea in my office tomorrow after you are done with stable duty? You will be showing up for stable duty, and you will be sober.”

Sylvain bowed his head and wouldn’t look her in the eye. “I will.”

She took his hand and dragged him into the infirmary, where Jeralt and her class was huddled in the far side of the room. Manuela was being treated in one bed, Flayn and the other captive were in the other bed. Monks were coming in and out, treating the patients. Warmth filled her chest as she looked at all of the happy faces in the room. Her eyes fell on the calendar on the wall, and all of the joy bubbled in her chest and spilled from her throat in the loudest laugh. 

Everyone froze and turned to her, and Sylvain dropped her hand in surprise. Jeralt raised an eyebrow at her and she smiled so wide her cheeks hurt. “Look at the date, Dad!”

Jeralt raised an eyebrow when she said dad. _Have I ever called him that?_ Jeralt turned toward the calendar she pointed at and he chuckled. She was still smiling as she said, “Happy Birthday to me, I guess.” She ran forward and threw her hands around Jeralt’s neck. He chuckled and encircled her waist with his arms. 

“Happy Birthday, Kid.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Father/daughter hugs!


	33. Chapter 33

~Felix~

They were standing in the corner of the room when Byleth walked in holding Sylvain’s hand. Really, she was more dragging him into the room than holding his hand, but Felix scowled either way.

  
He watched her as she looked around the room. Her smile was wide and completely and utterly beautiful as she laughed. She actually laughed and the sound took his breath away. She pointed to a calendar on the wall and shouted to her father, “Look at the date, Dad!”

The Blade Breaker chuckled as he looked over. She shrugged and said, “Happy Birthday to me, I guess.” _Wait… birthday?_ She launched herself into her father’s arms with the same big smile. 

Jeralt chuckled and it was the happiest Felix had ever seen the stoic man as he said, “Happy Birthday, Kid.”

“What the hell? I thought you didn’t know what your birthday was?!” It slipped from his mouth before he could process it. Ingrid punched his arm and he winced as he rubbed the aching spot. “What?!”

Byleth chuckled and stepped out of her father’s arms. “Well, Jeralt and I found out what the date was a few weeks ago. I turn 21 today, the 20th of the Horsebow Moon.”

Mercedes and Annette ran up and pulled her into a hug. Mercedes giggled and Annette sang out, “Happy Birthday, Professor!”

She laughed again and Felix’s heart flipped. She just looked so… happy. Dimitri stepped forward and took her hand as she smiled up at him. “Professor… I’ve never seen you look so happy before. It’s… it’s downright mesmerizing.” Normally he’d yell at the boar for being an idiot… but if he were a braver man, he’d probably tell her something similar. _I’ll let it go… just this once._

Sylvain stiffened beside him and Felix looked over at him. His eyes were firmly on Byleth, his lips parted in awe as he stared at her face. Mercedes and Annette giggled at the boar’s face, but Byleth just pulled him into a hug. As he held her Felix heard a muffled, “That’s because I’ve never been this happy before, Dima.”

Rage burned in his chest as he clenched his fists. Sylvain’s jaw clenched and Ingrid shifted awkwardly beside him. _When did she start calling him Dima?_ She had done it before they entered the tunnel as well.

A high voice groggily said, “Brother?” And everyone turned to watch as Seteth smothered his sister in a hug.

“Flayn! Thank the goddess you’re alright. I’ve been so worried!” Seteth had tears streaming down his cheeks. 

Flayn looked around the room and beamed as she saw Byleth’s smiling face. “Professor! Your smile! It’s so very beautiful!”

Jeralt chuckled and said, “It’s just like her mothers.” _Wait… her mother’s? I’ve never heard either of them talk about her mother._ Byleth squeezed Jeralt into another hug and the man looked like he had never been so overwhelmed in his life. “I gotta go get some things done, Kid. I’ll meet up with you later.” Byleth nodded and he hurried out of the room.

Seteth and Flayn were hugging and crying together on the bed. Byleth turned toward them and said, “Let’s clear out, guys. They could use some privacy.”

She led them toward the Blue Lions classroom but all of the Black Eagles and the Golden Deer were out on the lawn. Students swarmed them as soon as they got there. Edelgard and Claude pushed through and stood in front of Byleth. Edelgard crossed her arms and said, “Alright. It’s time for you to explain.”

Felix grunted loudly and Dimitri stepped forward to confront Edelgard for speaking to her like that but Byleth just laughed her beautiful laugh again. Judging by the sudden silence and all the awed stares, it was probably a safe bet she was smiling again, too. She pumped her fist in the air and yelled, “We found Flayn!”

Cheers erupted from the students of the other classes but Claude and Edelgard were still staring at Byleth in awe. _I don’t blame them. Her being this… happy… it’s so weird._ Claude took one of her hands and brushed his lips on the back of it with a wink. “You are truly extraordinary. And that smile… Teach! I’ve never seen you so happy!” 

Sylvain chuckled dryly and said, “Well to quote His Highness it’s… what did you say? Downright mesmerizing?” Dimitri blushed all the way to his ears as Claude laughed at him. 

Edelgard rolled her eyes and looked at Byleth. “Have you heard anything about Professor Manuela?”

Byleth nodded. “Yes. She was actually the first to figure everything out, though I don’t know how. She was stabbed when she went to confront the kidnapper, but she seems to be doing okay. She was being treated as we left.”

Edelgard’s eyes narrowed. “And who was the kidnapper, Professor?”

“Based off of everything that has happened, it is safe to assume that the kidnapper was Jeritza. He has been masquerading as that Death Knight that all of the villagers are talking about. Unfortunately, we were unable to apprehend him. It is best if everyone is on their guard in the coming weeks as the knights pursue him.” 

Byleth put a hand to her head and began to sway slightly. Felix was the quickest as he stepped up beside her and looped an arm around her waist. “Are you okay?”

Byleth chuckled and looked at all of their worried faces. “I’m sorry, everyone. The adrenaline is fading and my body is reminding me that my wounds are not completely healed yet.”

Everyone seemed to swarm her at the same time before Felix snapped, “Would you give us some room?!” While everyone else stepped back, Sylvain stepped forward.

“I’ll help you take her back to her room, Fe.” He turned to Mercedes and asked, “Think you have enough energy to give her a round of healing, Mercedes?” Mercedes nodded.

The students parted as they each held one of her arms and walked her to her room. When they finally got there, Mercedes kicked them out so she could help her change out of her armor and heal her.

Felix crossed his arms and glared at Sylvain while they stood in front of Byleth’s door. “You look like shit.”

Sylvain slumped against the doorjamb and sighed. “Well, I feel like shit. It’s been a hell of a day.”

Felix raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? You weren’t even there for the fighting. You were too hungover.”

Sylvain’s eyes went dark as he glanced at Byleth’s door, like he could see her on the other side. “I know. I’m a piece of shit. I get it. Byleth telling me I’m not good enough to help her hurt enough already.”

Felix scoffed and Sylvain’s eyes darted to his. “She wasn’t telling you you weren’t good enough. She was telling you you were hungover and you needed to get your head out of your ass.”

Sylvain sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “You don’t even know the half of it, Fe…”

Felix grunted and glared at him. “Just clean up your act. Try being sober for longer than a couple hours. You’ll be of no use to anyone if you keep pulling this shit.” Sylvain looked down at his shoes and wouldn’t meet his eyes. Felix rolled his eyes. “You looked like an injured puppy when she sent you away. It was pathetic.” Sylvain still wouldn't meet his gaze and Felix scoffed. “Just be ready next time. And let’s hope she’s not worse off because she had to fight today.”

Mercedes opened the door behind them and smiled softly. “You guys can come in. I’m all done. Don’t stay too long, though. She needs rest. I'll see you all later."

Byleth looked exhausted. Her eyes were half lidded as she looked up at them with a faint smile on her lips. Felix walked forward before Sylvain could and sat on the edge of the bed beside her. “So… happy birthday, I guess.” Sylvain and Byleth chuckled and Sylvain pulled the chair out from her desk to sit near them.

Byleth shrugged and looked at both of them. “Weird birthday, huh? Though I don’t have anything to compare it to. And the outcome was pretty great so I can’t complain.” That smile split her face again and Felix felt like he couldn’t breathe for a moment.

Sylvain reached forward and grabbed her hand. “That’s unacceptable. As soon as you get some rest, we’ll have to throw you a real party. Food, drinks, presents… the whole deal.” Sylvain winked at her and she did her little half chuckle.

“Don’t be silly. I don’t need a party.”

Felix scoffed and shook his head. “I’m sure Annette and Mercedes are already baking the cake as we speak. Though let’s hope Annette isn’t doing any of the baking if we want to survive this ordeal.”

Byleth chuckled softly and sighed. She laid further down in the bed and her eyes began to close. “That poor girl. She works so hard...”

Sylvain reached his free hand out hesitantly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Something burned in Felix’s chest and his eyes narrowed. Suddenly he grunted out a, “So how did you find out about your birthday anyway? I thought you didn’t know.”

She hummed slightly and opened her eyes, though she looked like she was having trouble keeping them open. He immediately felt like an asshole. She smiled softly at him and murmured, “I’ll show you soon.” She yawned and seemed to nuzzle further into the bed. Sylvain was stroking her hand with his thumb and she hummed lightly.

Felix stood quickly and she startled slightly as the mattress moved. “Right. We’ll go.” He walked quickly to the door and threw it open to find the boar, standing like an idiot with his hand raised about to knock. The memory of Byelth calling him Dima while she hugged him made Felix clench his fist and seriously consider punching the boar right in his “I’m pretending to be a good little Prince” face. 

“Leave her alone, Boar. She’s resting.” The boar opened his mouth to reply but Felix shouldered past him with a grunt and stalked to the training grounds.

_Why did she call him Dima? When did that happen? Why did it happen? Did he ask her to? Is it all some ploy to manipulate her into believing he’s Dimitri and not just a wild animal walking around in his skin?_

He took a training sword from the rack and stalked up to a dummy. As he swung at it with his sword his blood boiled. Nothing had gone the way he had wanted it to since Byleth arrived. He didn’t really know what he wanted… but he certainly didn’t want any of this. 

Everyone being so obsessed with her, her being hurt he hadn’t told her about Glenn, Sylvain’s moods, everything that happened with Miklan, and now he’s pretty sure Sylvain likes her. The damned hurt puppy dog look when she sent him away, the way his eyes had looked when he saw her smile, the fondness in his features when his thumb stroked her hand… 

With a yell of frustration, he swung the training sword so hard it splintered when it hit the training dummy. He threw it to the side and ran a hand through his hair. _Why do I care about any of this anyway? It’s not like it matters. She’s just my friend, and my instructor. I’ve never had this many opportunities to test my skill, and I’m getting stronger every day. I should be content._  
He took a deep breath and fixed his bun. _Right. Nothing is wrong. I am content. All I need to do is warn her to stay away from the Boar. I’ll protect her, and everything will be fine._

  
He trained for several hours until his body couldn’t take the strain. He headed to the bath house and once he was clean, he walked to Byleth’s room. When he knocked, he heard a faint, “Come in” and he pushed open the door.

Byleth was still in bed in her nightclothes. She still looked exhausted, but she pushed herself to sit up when he walked in. He began to pace the room as she stared at him.

“Felix… what’s wrong?” Her voice was hesitant and she swung her legs out of the bed to stand.

He whipped around to face her and blurted out, “Why did you call the boar Dima?!” It echoed through the room and he winced slightly.

Her mouth was parted in a cute “o” shape as she stared at him. “You are upset that I called Dimitri, Dima?” Felix groaned and ran a hand down his face. “He told me that his friends and his father used to call him Dima. He was so sad when he told me about it, I thought he might feel better if I did. He smiles every time I call him that so now… I just do.” She shrugged and stared at him.

He pointed out the door like he was pointing at the boar. “That… That is not Dima. Dima died in Duscur. An animal came back wearing Dima’s skin.”

Her gaze hardened and she crossed her arms. “An animal… really? Felix, I have put up with the nickname, but this is taking things too far.”

He stalked up until he was standing right in front of her. “You haven’t seen the things I’ve seen! That’s not the boy I grew up with!”

She met his gaze and put a hand on her hip. “And you haven’t seen the things he’s seen. You aren’t the boy that I met when I was younger. Imagine if you witnessed the slaughter of your friends and family.”

Felix stepped back as the air left his lungs. His voice was quieter than he meant it to be as he asked, “You… You’re comparing me to the boar?” Her eyes softened slightly and she tried to put a hand on his shoulder but he shoved it away. “Don’t touch me!” She frowned and wrapped her arms around herself.

“Felix… I saw the darkness in him when I first met him. He hides it well most of the time… but…” She bit her lip and glanced off to the side before her eyes darted back to his. “You really think it will help him if you call him names and push him away? He needs support.”

He scoffed and stepped away. “You didn’t see what I saw two years ago.”

She stepped forward and poked a finger into his chest. “Then maybe you should just tell me!”

“He slaughtered militia members in an uprising in the west. He SLAUGHTERED them, and he ENJOYED it. He laughed like a madman as he smashed their skulls and ripped them limb from limb. You can’t be around him. You can’t be his friend. You can’t call him Dima. HE’S NOT DIMA!” She flinched as he screamed at her, but held her ground. He was panting and he had stepped closer to her at some point so they were only inches apart.

She put a hand on his cheek and tilted her face up just the slightest bit to look him in the eyes. “My father calls it Battle Rage. We’ve had mercenaries that suffered from it in the past. They don’t have control… My father says it happens when you don’t take care of your mind after battles. It’s the trauma from the Tragedy, Felix. He needs help, and I’m trying to help him.”

He put his hands on her waist and pulled her against him. Her eyes widened in surprise. “But if he hurts you…”

She moved her hand from his cheek to over his lips. “He won’t hurt me, Felix. He rolled on top of me in an effort to shield me. If anything, he needs to protect me less.”

He took one hand from her waist and removed her hand from his mouth. “I’m just trying to keep you safe. Why… why is that so hard to do?” He groaned and put his forehead on hers.

She chuckled and he felt it run through him. “Felix, I don’t need you to protect me. I protect you, I’m your teacher.”

Felix felt his eyes narrow as his hand traveled down to encircle her waist. She shivered at the touch and a heat pooled in his core. His voice was lower than he had ever heard it when he growled, “You’re not just my teacher and you know it.”

Her eyes widened and her breathing was shallow as she stared at him. Suddenly there was a knock at the door and he hissed, “Leave it.” She pulled her head away as she looked from him to the door and then back at him.

“Professor?” Ashe’s voice came through the door. “Are you awake?”

Felix tightened the hold on her waist but she shook her head lightly and stepped away from him. She walked over to the door and opened it to find a grinning Ashe. “Professor! How are you feeling?” He noticed Felix in the room and his eyebrow rose slightly.

“You guys don’t need to worry about me. Felix was just coming to see how I was doing, as well. I’m fine, I promise.”

Ashe chuckled and said, “Well I was checking on you, but I was also wondering if you would come to dinner with me! I think some of the others are going to be there as well.”

Byleth nodded and glanced back pointedly at Felix. “Yes! I’d love to. Let me change and I’ll walk with you.”

Felix crossed his arms and walked out the door as she shut it behind him. Ashe called out, “You might want to come too, Felix.”

Felix scoffed but stayed where he was. “And why would I want to do that?”

Ashe chuckled and stepped closer to him. He whispered, “Because it’s actually a birthday party. Duh!”

Felix felt himself flush slightly. He had completely forgotten that it was her birthday, he had been to focused on how mad he was and how he wanted to confront her about the boar. “Fine. I’ll come. Just because she would be upset if I didn’t. I hate parties.” 

Ashe chuckled again and patted his shoulder. He whispered, “Yeah! She wouldn’t want to miss having her oldest friend at her first ever birthday party.”

Byleth walked out a second later wearing her crop top with some leggings and her long coat. Her bruises from her injuries peeked out slightly from underneath the shirt and she flushed slightly when she noticed him looking. “I haven’t been able to do laundry because I’ve been stuck in the infirmary.”

Ashe grabbed her arm and dragged her along toward the classroom. “You look great, Professor! No need to worry.”

Her steps faltered when he took a wrong turn. “I thought we were going to the dining hall?”

Ashe shook his head and chuckled nervously. “No Professor, we grabbed some dinner for you and took it to the classroom. We figured that would be easier, since you are still injured and need to rest.”

She raised an eyebrow and glanced back at Felix. “Oookay…” 

As soon as they opened the classroom doors everyone shouted out, “Happy Birthday!” They had pushed some of the desks together and had a bunch of trays of food, as well as snacks and a little frosted cake.

Byleth’s smile was blinding as she looked at all of them. Felix grunted out, “I warned you.” And her laughter echoed off the walls. Everyone still seemed surprised by all of the joy she was showing, because no one really moved, everyone just stood and stared.

Finally, Ashe grabbed her arm again and lead her to the seat at the head of the table and Felix crossed his arms and watched as everyone gathered around her. She just looked so… happy. But Felix was still flustered from their heated conversation and the moment they had shared before Ashe had interrupted. _Where did that come from? What would have happened if Ashe hadn’t shown up?_ He rolled his eyes at his own stupidity. _You are being an idiot, Fraldarius._

The boar stepped forward with a little box and handed it to Byleth with a sickening smile on his face. “Professor, we got you a little gift. It’s from all of us. Happy birthday!”

Byleth smiled and lifted the lid of the box. She pulled out a silver bracelet and her face lit up with a smile as his eyes narrowed on the boar prince. “Dima! It’s beautiful! But… how did you find this so quickly? You just found out about my birthday this afternoon.”

The boar blushed and looked off to the side. “Well Anna, one of the merchants here at the monastery, had it in her wares. I was able to get a blacksmith to carve the lion head into the charm.” He grinned down at her and Felix clenched his fists. “I know you might not always teach the Blue Lions, but I hope you will always remember our time here together.”

Byleth smiled softly and looked around at all of them. “Thank you so much!” She put the bracelet on and held it up to show everyone.

Mercedes giggled. “It’s lovely, Professor! Now let’s dig in! I’m so excited for you to try the cake!”

~Byleth~

The party was lovely. A warmth was in her chest and it made all of the stress and worry of the last six weeks fade away. She was with her Lions, and they were happy and safe. The silver bracelet from her students was cool on her skin as she played with it.

Eventually people started to filter out. Felix was the first to leave, he had been especially grumpy and something stirred in her chest remembering their heated conversation and the look in his eyes afterward. She shivered just thinking about the look in his eyes. It was so… intense. Felix was always intense, but this wasn’t anger or contempt. _I’m not sure what it was…_

The things he had told her about Dimitri were concerning. If Dimitri had Battle Rage as Felix had described, there was no telling what would set him off. It was so hard to look at the smiling prince in front of her and think he could do something like what Felix described. This was Dima! Dima who had gotten angry with her when she had admitted to him that loss of life is the fact of war. But she believed Felix. The way he acted around Dimitri made a lot more sense.

Everyone looked exhausted, Sylvain was practically asleep on the table in a seat near her. She leaned over and stroked his hair lightly and he turned his head toward her. “You should head up to bed. You look exhausted.”

Sylvain shook his head slowly and let out a yawn he tried to smother with his hand. “I won’t be able to sleep…” he hummed softly and shut his eyes as she watched his red hair move between her fingers “… besides. It’s your birthday.” 

She chuckled and stopped playing with his hair so she could push his shoulder. “Everyone will be leaving soon. I’m sure you haven’t had a good night’s rest in a while, and you’re going to need it for stable duty and tea time with me afterwards. I don’t want you falling asleep then!”

He sat up and looked thoughtful for a moment. “I forgot about that…” A smirk crept across his lips and then his lips formed a pout and he moved really close to her. “Do I really have to do stable duty? I’ll be too tired to be charming for our tea time.”

She smirked and pushed his face away with her palm. “You had better. We have a lot to discuss. You’ve been causing lots of trouble, Gautier.” She tried to keep her tone playful, but a bit of the hurt she had felt over the last few weeks seemed to creep into her voice and he stiffened.

He reached a hand back and rubbed the back of his head. “Right… that’s… you’re right…” He stood slowly and grabbed her hand. He pressed a soft kiss to the knuckle of each of her fingers. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” He dropped her hand and walked out the door.

Ingrid walked up beside her and crossed her arms. “He’s been so weird, lately. Actually… he’s been weird ever since you got here. Is he bothering you? I can try to get him to stop.”

Byleth moved the fingers of her other hand over the places she could still feel the tingle of his lips against her skin. “No, he’s been through a lot lately. If he needs to pretend to flirt with me to take his mind off of it, so be it. I can handle him.”

Ingrid snorted and grabbed a leftover cookie on the table. “I have no doubt about that.”

Byleth finally turned to face her and gave her a soft smile. “Would you guys mind clearing out the food? The rest can be cleaned up tomorrow. I would like to go and check on Flayn before I head to bed.”

Ingrid bowed slightly with her arm across her chest. “Of course, Professor. And again, happy birthday!” Byleth’s lip twitched as she bowed back to her and then turned to walk out the door.

When she reached the second floor, all was quiet. It was getting late, and most everyone had gone to bed. She walked down the hallway, but stopped when she heard rustling in Seteth’s dark office. She drew her dagger and flung the door open. Seteth dropped the box he had been holding and whipped around before chuckling softly when he saw her. “Miss Eisner, you scared me. I must still be tired if I didn’t hear you coming.”

She put her dagger back in its sheathe and glanced around at the room. There was a small travel pack on the table with some books and papers in it, and various boxes littered the floor beneath mostly empty shelves.

“I thought you might be an intruder, why are you rustling around in the dark.” She felt she might already know the answer, but she wanted to be sure he was really leaving.

Seteth sighed and lit a candle before stepping around his desk to stand before her. “Miss Eisner…”

“Please, call me Byleth.”

Seteth smiled softly and nodded. “Byleth… please allow me to express my eternal gratitude. Flayn is safe and sound, and I have you to thank for that. When everyone was ready to give up, you pressed on. Mere words could never express how thankful I am. I…” he paused and cleared his throat as tears welled in his eyes “… I am indebted to you.”

She smiled slightly and bowed her head. “I’m just happy she’s safe.”

Seteth sighed and smiled widely as he sat back on his desk. “Yes, indeed. I too am overjoyed.”

She bit her bottom lip and looked him over. “Seteth, if you don’t mind me asking… why was she targeted in the first place? They kept her alive for so long, and the only harm seemed to be blood loss but she had no injuries.”

“Well… it seems plausible that the so called “Death Knight” you fought in the Holy Mausoleum and when you rescued Flayn is indeed Jeritza. And we cannot forget about this Flame Emperor you mentioned to Catherine and Shamir. His motives are yet unclear. However, I have an idea…” He put a hand to his chin and looked at her thoughtfully for a while. “I believe the enemy was after Flayn’s blood. The blood that flows through her veins is special. It is extremely rare… and extremely dangerous. I feel it is only right to explain this to you, after everything you have done… Though I cannot divulge any more information.”

She nodded curtly and said, “I wouldn’t want to have any information that could endanger you or Flayn.”

Seteth gave her a sad smile. “Unfortunately, if enemies have appeared who know the power of Flayn’s blood… we must leave the monastery and go into hiding.” 

She nodded slightly and startled when Seteth’s door was flung open. A still very pale Flayn stood against the doorway. “Brother! I do not like the path of your thoughts.” She began to walk forward but began to sway. Byleth rushed forward and swept her into a bridal carry before she could fall. She bit her lip to hide a wince at the pain to her torso.

“Flayn, what are you doing here? You are supposed to be resting.” Seteth fussed over her and she batted him away.

Byleth let out a hiss as she shifted a little too much in her arms. Both of them turned to her. She smiled sheepishly. “My ribs are still giving me a bit of trouble. Why don’t we lay you back down in the infirmary and you can have this discussion there.” She turned and walked across the hall to lay Flayn down in the bed. The other bed in the infirmary was empty, Manuela and the other captive were gone.

Flayn grabbed her hand as she moved to turn away. “Please stay, Professor.” Byleth smiled softly and sat beside her on the bed and Seteth took the other side. “Brother, I do not wish to live in some lonely, remote place where I will never get to see anyone. Not ever again.”

Seteth sighed and ran a hand down his face. “But Flayn, if we stay here you will be targeted again! Isn’t it better if we go somewhere where we can live in peace?”

Flayn shook her head and grabbed Byleth’s hand again. “Leaving does not mean that those people will not find us again. And where would we be safer than here at the monastery? Here we are surrounded by capable knights and professors who can keep me safe.”

Byleth chuckled softly and ran a hand through Flayn’s hair. She leaned into the touch with her big and bright smile. Seteth looked between them and sighed. “You have a point… However…”

Flayn reached over and grabbed his hand and gave him a big smile. “You know it is the only reasonable option, Brother! What if I were to join Professor Byleth’s class?”

The siblings both turned to look at her, Flayn had a huge hopeful smile on her face and Seteth eyed her warily. “That’s a great idea. I would always be around to look after her, and my students would be around to help as well.”

Flayn bounced in the bed. “Oh! I am so very pleased to hear that! With you nearby, I shall be safe no matter what foe should appear.” _Flayn would love being part of the group. And maybe Seteth can convince Rhea to give us less dangerous missions._

Seteth sighed heavily and leaned his head down to touch it to Flayn’s. “I see… I am afraid you have a good point.” He lifted his head and turned to Byleth. “Byleth, due to my position I have closely scrutinized everything about you. After all that has happened, I must admit that you are indeed… a trusted ally. So, what say you? Can I entrust you will Flayn’s safety?”

Byleth’s cheeks strained as she looked at the hopeful smile on Flayn’s face. Her eyes were shining and her hands were clasped in front of her chest in a silent plea. Byleth reached forward and smoothed her disheveled hair again before turning to Seteth. “I will do everything in my power to keep her safe, Seteth. You have my word.” Flayn giggled and hurled her body into Byleth’s arms, who winced and then chuckled softly. “Besides, I’ll teach her everything I can so she can defend herself, as well.” 

She pulled back slightly so she could look at Flayn. “You can work with Mercedes and Annette on your magic! Or you could do some pegasus training and lance work with Ingrid!” Seteth’s face paled and he shook his head as Flayn giggled with glee. 

“Oh, Professor! I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy in my life!”

Seteth sighed heavily and his eyelids began to droop. “Seteth, you look exhausted. Why don’t you go and rest? I’ll watch out for her tonight.”

He smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Byleth. I can rest easy, knowing you are here with her. Goodnight.” He bowed and walked out the door.

Flayn giggled and grabbed her hand. “I can’t believe that worked!”

Byleth chuckled and sat with her back against the headboard of the bed. “You were laying it on pretty thick.”

Flayn giggled again before it turned into a yawn. “I’ve wanted this for so long.” She laid her head on the pillow and began to shut her eyes. 

Byleth reached out and stroked her hair as she rested. The song that Sothis had taught her popped into her head, so as she stroked Flayn’s hair she sang…

**_“In time’s flow…_ **   
**_See the glow_ **   
**_Of Flame’s ever burning bright._ **   
**_On the swift… river’s drift_ **   
**_Broken memories alight”_ **

She paused when she heard Flayn sniffle. She sat forward and looked down at her. “Flayn? Are you alright? You are crying?”

Flayn looked up at her, her eyes wide with wonder. “I have not heard anyone sing that song in such a very long time. It brings back memories of my mother.” She sighed and nuzzled into the pillow before suddenly sitting up and looking at Byleth sharply. “How do you know that song, Professor?”

Sothis appeared and looked down at the girl. **“She knows my song? But… how could she…?**

Byleth cleared her throat and tried to focus her eyes on Flayn. “A friend taught it to me.”

Flayn searched her face for a long time before she grinned. “I think there is something special about you, Professor. I don’t know what, quite yet, but I imagine we will find out eventually.” She laid back down and took Byleth’s hand. “Would you sing it again, please?”

As Byleth sang the song again, Sothis continued to watch Flayn. **“She seems… familiar. Are you sure you have not met her prior to coming to the monastery?”**

_“I’m pretty sure.”_

Sothis floated over the bed and studied the now sleeping girl. **“How very strange. I feel a sort of… bond?”** She shook her head and vanished to the back of Byleth’s mind. **“You must rest also. I will watch over you both and wake you if something is amiss.”**

_“Are you alright?”_

Sothis sighed in the back of her mind. **“Yes. I will be fine. I just hate not remembering…”** She smiled softly and watched as Byleth got comfortable in the bed. **“Sleep well, dear one.”**

  
She awoke with a start to her father standing over her with a finger over his lips. He nodded his head toward the still sleeping Flayn beside her and then toward the door. She stood quietly and followed him out to his office. 

He shut the door and leaned against it. “I went to check your room and you weren’t in it. I figured you might be in there with her.” He sighed and ran his hand down his face.

“Why were you looking for me?”

“I’m being sent out on another assignment. I wanted to come and say goodbye.” She frowned slightly and he took a step forward to ruffle her hair. “Rhea has always been quick to put those under her to work. Though I’m sad I’ll miss you decimating the other classes at Gronder.”

She straightened up when she remembered that the Battle of the Eagle and Lion was coming up soon. “That’s right! I forgot with everything that has been happening.”

Jeralt chuckled and ruffled her hair again. “You’ve had a lot going on, Kid.” His face suddenly became stern as he led her over to sit on the couch. “Listen, you need to keep your eyes and ears open. It seems like all of this is connected somehow, and I’m interested to know who is pulling the strings.”

He sat back with a heavy sigh. “There are mysterious groups popping up around the monastery and all over Fodlan. In one such case, the knight who went to investigate those individuals turned up dead. Listen, I’m not saying it will. But if that ever happens to me, I want you to search this room. Every shelf, every corner. I’m going to leave some things for you.”

She shoved him and laughed lightly. “You aren’t leaving me any time, soon old man. You hear me?”

He smiled softly at her and threw an arm over her shoulder. “Somethings coming, kiddo. I can feel it… and it scares the hell outta me.” He paused and leaned his head onto hers. “I don’t regret coming here, though. Seeing you smile yesterday… hearing your laugh… you looked and sounded just like your mother. I was afraid I would never get to see it.” He stood and stretched his arms above his head. “Well, I have to head out now. Just be safe, no more human shielding.”

She laughed and smiled up at him. “No promises.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always picture Felix as so clean and put together because he tries to bottle everything up. When I write his frazzled or vulnerable moments it always shows with his hair or clothes.
> 
> Also poor Jeralt went and had to pull himself together after seeing Byleth smile and laugh just like his wife. Poor guy.


	34. Chapter 34

~Sylvain~

_Well… stable duty SUCKS._

It was a weirdly warm fall day, though being from Faerghus probably made him think it’s warmer than it actually is. And he’s currently shoveling horse shit with Ingrid who is still pissed at him for being a drunken asshole for the last two weeks. Which is fair, but does she really need to nag while he’s already shoveling actual shit?

“Honestly, Sylvain. It’s embarrassing that you were so hungover that the Professor had to actually send you away.” _Okay… ouch._

“Ingrid. That’s enough! I get it, I hurt your feelings and I’m sorry. I already feel bad and I’m trying to make up for it by being here. Okay?”

She seemed surprised, though I guess him giving a straight answer and admitting he was wrong is a little off brand for him lately. She gaped at him for a while and then turned back to what she was doing. 

They finished up relatively fast because he had actually worked instead of just whining for Ingrid to do it. He had a tea date to look forward to, after all. _Wait… it’s not a date. It’s tea with Byleth so she can lecture me… probably. Not a date._ He headed straight to the bath house and got cleaned up, before heading to his room to get dressed. He pulled on casual clothes instead of his uniform, a dark blue button up with some slacks, trying to make it not a school thing. Not a date, but not a school thing. 

He headed toward the marketplace to pick up some flowers… _because I didn’t get her anything for her birthday and she got me flowers so really, it’s only polite._ He stopped when he stumbled upon the chaos that was the fishing pond. There was a small crowd of people in the normally empty area and he craned his neck to try and see what was going on. He spotted Ashe off to the side, and walked over to him.

“Hey! What’s going on?”

Ashe startled and blushed before finally answering. “Oh! Well, Seteth set up a fishing tournament of sorts to lift Flayn’s spirits after… everything. People have been fishing all day, everyone trying to nab the one she wants. But the Professor stepped up and has been reeling in fish after fish, and they are all huge! I guess she kind of drew in a crowd.”

Sylvain stood up on his toes to try and see the edge of the pier, and instantly realized why there was a crowd. Byleth was grinning ear to ear as Flayn stood beside her. All at once, Byleth’s face became serious and her arms flexed in her tanktop as she pulled in the fishing rod. The fish dangling on the edge was MASSIVE and she held it up for Flayn to inspect. Flayn jumped up and down and said something Sylvain couldn’t hear, making Byleth’s face break out in that smile that steals the breath from his lungs.

The small crowd cheered and a slight blush crossed over Byleth’s cheeks as she realized that she’d drawn a crowd. Byleth dropped the fish into a bucket and nodded toward the dining hall before her eyes landed on him. The corner of her lips twitched upward as she walked toward him.

“You look nice! Do you have a date tonight?” _Wait… what?_ “I smell like fish, so let me clean up really fast and we can get tea out of the way so you can go. Can you meet me in my room in about thirty minutes?” 

“Ummm… yeah. That sounds good.”

She smiled softly and picked up the bucket, heading toward the kitchen as Flayn raced to her side.

“You’re having tea with the Professor? That sounds like fun!” Ashe stared up at him with a grin and he smiled back.

“Unfortunately, I think I may be in for a lecture. I don’t think it will be a pleasant tea time.”

Ashe put his fist under his chin and looked down in thought. “I don’t think the Professor is the type to schedule a scolding like that. I think she would just do it, ya know?” He laughed nervously and smiled up at him. “I bet she’s just wanting to check up on you. She did that a lot for me after Lonato. She still does sometimes. She’s really kind.”

“How ARE you doing? How are your siblings?” _Why haven’t I asked about this before?_

Surprise crossed Ashe’s face as he looked up at him. “Oh! I’m alright. It’s still hard some days, not having answers for why he did what he did…” he paused and his eyes filled with tears before laughing and shaking them away “… but the Professor has been really supportive. I was able to find a place for my siblings to stay with her help, so I can finish up the school year. It’ll be hard to support them once I leave, but I’m hoping I can find an apprenticeship or something so I can take care of them.”

“Oh… that must be really hard, having to support your siblings when you are still basically a kid yourself.”

Ashe’s face fell for a second before he gave him a sad smile. “I’ve had to do a lot worse to support them. I was only eight when our parents died, they were both so young…” Ashe’s eyes fell to the ground and a frown crossed his face. 

“Well… what if my family hired you as a knight? I’ll be the Margrave soon, you guys could all come and stay with us!” _Maybe having Ashe around would make being home bearable. At least I won’t have to spend all my time alone with my random noblewoman wife and be miserable._

“Oh… I couldn’t possibly…” Ashe’s face was bright red as he stammered.

“No. I’m serious! I’ll send a letter to my father. I’m sure we could find a way for you to stay with us, and your siblings of course. Anything for a friend!” He patted Ashe on the shoulder and Ashe looked up at him in surprise.

“A… friend? Wow… that’s really nice Sylvain.” 

“Don’t mention it! I’ll write him tonight after tea with the Professor and I’ll let you know what he has to say.”

“Thank you, Sylvain! That’s really kind of you!” Ashe’s smile was so bright it was almost like looking at the sun for too long. “You have no idea what a job like that would mean for me and my siblings. I’ll work as hard as I can so I can be the best knight I can be. I swear it!” 

Sylvain chuckled and patted him on the shoulder. “You might make going home after the school year is done, bearable. Now, I need to head to the market to pick something up before tea time. I’ll see you around!”

  
With a bouquet of orange roses behind his back he walked up to Byleth’s door and knocked. She called out, “Come in!” and he opened the door. She had a table set up in the corner and she was steeping tea as he walked in. Her hair was still damp on her shoulders and she had changed into a long sleeve black shirt and some leggings. The corner of her lip twitched as she looked up at him, and then her lips parted in surprise when he brought the flowers out from behind his back. “You brought flowers?” She raised an eyebrow at him.

He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. “Well, I didn’t get you anything for your birthday… and you got me flowers… so…” 

She gave him a soft smile and took them from him, setting them in a vase on her desk. “They are lovely, thank you. Would you like some tea?” She motioned to the table and they both took a seat on opposite sides.

“Wait… is this Bergamot tea?”

She smiled behind the rim of her cup as she sipped. “I asked Ingrid what your favorite was, she had to guess but I just went with it. Do you like it?”

“You… you asked Ingrid what my favorite tea was?”

“Is that alright?”

He shook his head and took a sip. It was delicious. “It’s more than alright. Thank you, I mean it.” She smiled that big smile and he looked away. “I’ve been such an asshole lately, and you are asking around about my favorite tea…” 

She reached over the table and put a hand over his. “You were going through a lot, Sylvain.”

He pulled his hand out from under hers and crossed his arms. “Why are you being kind to me? I thought this was going to be a lecture. Just lecture me already.” He was practically begging as his chest tightened to an almost unbearable degree.

A small frown crossed her features and she pulled her hand back toward her side of the table. “Why would I lecture you?”

“You’re kidding, right?” She raised an eyebrow and stared at him. “I threatened you, skipped classes for a week, made advances on you, spent the two weeks after we got back from the mission drunk instead of looking for clues about Flayn, and I was too hungover to help you guys fight yesterday. Why WOULDN’T you lecture me?”

Her frown stayed as she listened to him ramble about all the reasons to lecture him. “I know you didn’t mean it.”

“…What?”

“I know you didn’t mean it. The threatening me, the… advances… I know you didn’t mean it. You were in pain, it’s only natural that you would have a reaction like that. I know you don’t actually…” She stared down at her tea and then took a sip before shaking her head. _Right. I’m just the good-for-nothing skirt chaser that couldn’t possibly… like her? Wait… do I like her? Like… really like her?_

“Still… I’m sorry. I really am.” He stared down into his cup and couldn’t meet her gaze.

“You said that already… the night you stumbled into the infirmary drunk off your ass.” She chuckled under her breath and he felt his cheeks heat up.

“I did?”

“You don’t remember?” 

He flushed further. “No. Ummm… I remember seeing Jeralt at the tavern, then I went home with some girl. I think she kicked me out for some reason but then I don’t remember much.”

She frowned slightly but then her face became neutral again. “That makes sense. You seemed like you were pretty out of it.”

“Did… Did I say anything weird?” _Do I even want to know?_

She wouldn’t meet his gaze. “Nope. You walked in, said something about how you were sorry, and passed out on the bed. I figured it was best for you to just sleep it off.” She took another sip of her tea and then her eyes brightened. “I ran into Ashe in the dining hall while I was grabbing hot water…” she smirked as she stared at him “… he says that you plan to hire him on as a knight after graduation.”

He sighed and chuckled, a weird mixture of grateful and disappointed at the subject change. “Yeah. It might make going home bearable if I get to take him with me. The kid is like straight sunshine.”

She smiled softly and sighed. “He is, isn’t he?” She chuckled and then seemed to realize something and frowned. “Why would going home be… unbearable?”

He chuckled darkly and placed his teacup back on the saucer. “Nothing good is waiting for me after graduation, Byleth.”

“Why do you say that?”

“All that waits for me is a loveless marriage and a title I’m not sure I want.”

She tilted her head and her lips pouted slightly. “Are you… engaged?”

He ran his hand down his face with a groan. “Not yet, if my father had his way I would be though. Every letter he sends mentions another arrangement that he’s threatening me with.”

The pout turned into a full frown. “Jeralt seems to be getting those now, too. Though he finds them ridiculous, so I guess I’m lucky.” She looked down into her teacup with a frown. “It makes sense that you would hate me for that.”

Before he could think about it too much, he took one of her hands and stroked it with his thumb. “I don’t hate you. I…” she looked up at him as he paused “… I don’t hate you. I said those things because… because I’m an asshole. I don’t hate you.”

She tilted her head to the side in the cute way she does when she’s curious about something. “Why don’t you just find someone you love, and make sure that person loves you?”

He chuckled softly and took his hand away from hers. “I’ve already told you, By. These women don’t love me, they love the rewards of loving me.”

She sat forward in her seat, her eyes bright. “You called me By! I’ve waited a long time for you to call me that…” she tilted her head “Does that mean we are friends now?” He nodded with a chuckle and she laughed her bright laugh that made his heartrate speed up. “If you let people actually see you, they would love you, Sylvain. I know it.”

He chuckled darkly. “No, I don’t think they would. I’m…” she lifted an eyebrow slightly and stared at him as he paused “… I’m not…” 

She held up a hand to interrupt him. “You are kind, you are smart…” she smirked and gave him a pointed stare “…Don’t think I haven’t noticed you helping Annette with her magic and Dimitri with his tactics homework.” He chuckled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. “You are charming, and you aren’t hard to look at. I’m sure plenty of people would love that if you gave people a chance.” 

He laughed and she smiled softly at him. “You have a good heart, Sylvain. I’m not sure why you hide it. I’m not sure why you flit from person to person. If you looked you could find someone you love and that loves you. Maybe you should do that… while you are here at the monastery? Try going on dates with people you actually like.” 

She sat back against her chair and stared intensely at him in a way that was unfairly cute. “Oh, and start working on your wyvern training. If we work hard for the next five weeks, we could have you in the air for the Battle of the Eagle and Lion. I want you in the air so we can annihilate the other houses. I’ve got it all worked out for you to work with Emery, as long as you don’t mind sharing.”

He chuckled and raised an eyebrow. “We are sharing a wyvern?” 

“Well I plan to fight on the ground, but I still sneak off a lot to go and fly around for a while with Emery. It’s nice to have a chance to get away every once and a while.”

He rolled his eyes and placed a hand on his heart. “Oh, it must be so hard having so many people that want your attention.”

She smirked and cocked an eyebrow. “You would know, wouldn’t you?” They laughed for a while and Sylvain realized his cheeks were sore from smiling. It just felt good to be around her. She sighed and ran a hand through her wavy blue hair. “I’m glad we are friends now.”

“I am too, By.”

She hummed in acknowledgement and then asked, “Are you and Felix… okay?”

He let out a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his hair. “No. He found that letter you sent me a couple weeks ago and confronted me about it. I told him about how I… ya know… and he punched me, told me he didn’t want to talk to me anymore.” He took a deep breath and slumped back in his chair. “Things were okay after… Miklan. But then I said some things that I think he’s still mad at me for.”

“What did you say?” 

“I… can’t tell you.” She raised an eyebrow with a stern look, but he shook his head.

“Well… let’s go find him.”

He gaped at her. “What?”

She nodded and stood up. “Let’s go find him. I want to show you guys something, anyway.”

He followed her out of her room and she turned left towards the training grounds. When they walked in, they immediately found Felix grappling with Caspar. She circled them, watching their movements and he watched as she easily transitioned into teacher mode. She called out cues on form and they followed until eventually Caspar pinned Felix, much to the latter’s chagrin.

Once Caspar helped Felix up, he noticed that Sylvain was still standing by the door. “What are you guys doing here? You’re not dressed to train.”

Byleth stepped toward him and said, “We just got done having tea. Sylvain has a date later.” She turned back toward him. “Wait… do you need to go?”

He shook his head and crossed his arms behind his head. “This is more important.” She looked at him with a weird look in her eye, but then it vanished behind her normal neutral look.

She turned back toward Felix. “I was wondering if I could steal you. There’s something I want to show you both.”

Felix raised an eyebrow, but walked over and wiped off his face and neck with a towel before coming back toward them. They walked out the door and Byleth turned left, walking past the courtyard for the classrooms, and through the doors that led to the Cathedral. She didn’t turn left to go to the Cathedral, though. She continued straight through and took another left down a set of stairs. 

Felix looked around at the gravestones surrounding them. “I didn’t even know this was here.”

Byleth’s face was solemn as she walked forward and placed her hand on one of the gravestones. “I wanted you guys to meet my mother. Apparently, her name was Sitri Eisner.”

Sylvain looked over at Felix and they both had the same confused look on their faces. Sylvain cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head. “Your mother was buried at the monastery?”

She nodded and they walked forward a few steps so they were standing on either side of her. “My father showed me a couple weeks ago. That’s how I figured out my birthday… apparently she died giving birth to me.” Sylvain could feel his heart twist and Felix looked equally distressed. Sylvain turned toward her and opened his arms, an invitation if she wanted to be held, and she took it. She held him so tightly it almost hurt as she shook slightly. 

Felix hesitantly reached out a hand a placed it on her back and made eye contact with Sylvain. Byleth’s voice shook slightly as she said, “My dad said she had a smile just like mine. He said she loved reading and gardening. He told me he would bring her flowers after every mission, just so he could see her smile.” Sylvain’s eyes were misting up and there was a lump in his throat.

He leaned his head down and softly said, “I’m sure she would have loved you, By.” 

She leaned back to look up at him. “Do you think so? Sometimes I wonder…” She glanced over at the headstone. “I’m not normal. I never had emotions as a kid. When I met you two, it was one of the first times I ever felt anger or fear. All I knew was battle and bloodshed.” She shrugged and placed her head back on his chest, still looking over at the grave. “Sometimes I think maybe that’s all I’ll ever be good for. What mother could love that?”

Sylvain glanced over and saw Felix grit his teeth, his eyes were pleading as he looked up at Sylvain. Sylvain nodded, trying to tell him to just speak his mind. Felix rubbed her back slightly and sighed, “That’s not true, Byleth.” He sighed and looked back up at Sylvain.

Sylvain rested his cheek on her head and softly said, “You are beautiful and smart. You are a great teacher, and all of your students look up to you. You are a powerful fighter, but you use that fighting to protect us. You protected me without even knowing me, all those years ago… What mother wouldn’t love that?” He chuckled slightly and said, “In fact, I remember my mother saying something like she couldn’t help liking you because you were so concerned about me while you stayed with us. And I’m pretty sure my mom doesn’t like much of anything.”

Byleth pulled back, her eyes wide as she looked up at him. “Really? She said that?” He nodded and she smiled sadly. She whispered, “I wish I could have known my mother.”

Felix surprised both of them by circling his arms around both of them, Byleth squeezed between the two of them. Byleth chuckled softly, “Felix, you stink. I’m gonna need another bath.”

Felix groaned and grunted out, “Just take the hug, idiot.” Sylvain and Byleth both chuckled as they stood there together for a while. Eventually Felix stepped away and Byleth stepped out of Sylvain’s arms. “So… why did you tell us all of this, Byleth?”

She turned toward him and shrugged. “You guys are my friends. I want you to know all I know about myself.” She paused and wrapped her arms around herself. “It’s not much, but I want you to know it. I want you to know me.”

She shivered and Felix scoffed. “Are you cold?” 

She raised an eyebrow and looked between them. “Is that what this is? I don’t think I’ve ever been cold before…”

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “How can you be 21 and you’ve never experienced feeling cold?”

She smirked and raised an eyebrow. “Not everyone was raised in a snowdrift, Fe.”

Felix’s eyes widened slightly at the nickname and then his face split with a rare Felix Hugo Fraldarius smile. He grabbed her arm and then reached out to grab Sylvain’s. “Then let’s get you out of the supposed cold, idiot. I’m starving.” Her laughter rang out as they hurried toward the dining hall, and Sylvain felt content.

After dinner they all headed back to their rooms. Sylvain pushed open his door and noticed an envelope on the ground. He picked it up and turned it over, raising an eyebrow at the Gautier seal. His father had already sent a letter shortly after they got back from confronting Miklan, but he had burned it without reading it. 

He opened it and his eyebrows furrowed. He turned back around and ran down the hallway. He ran down the pathway and was panting slightly when he reached Byleth’s door. 

He took a deep breath and plastered a smile onto his face. _She can’t see me acting like a mess again… she can’t._ He ran a hand through his hair and stood up straight, summoning every ounce of his fake façade he could muster.

She opened the door at his knock and his eyes combed over her. “Goddess By. That nightgown might just be the death of me.” He winked and gave her his best smile.

_Let’s hope this works._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just needed to write some sad softness real fast. Sorry.


	35. Chapter 35

~Byleth~

“Goddess By, that nightgown might just be the death of me.” 

He winked at her and she immediately noticed the stupid fake mask from when she first arrived. Empty eyes, fake smile, over the top flirting. _What is wrong with him?_

She quirked an eyebrow and looked down. It wasn’t anything too immodest, though she wasn’t wearing a bra and the straps were thin. “Umm… sorry?”

“Are you working tomorrow? You gotta take a day sometime. Get out in the world and have some fun.”

She crossed her arms and leaned her head into one of her fists, smirking at him. “That’s not a bad idea.”

Sylvain chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. “Right? Sometimes you gotta forget all the things you outta do and focus on what you’d rather do.”

**“The philanderer wants something.”**

_“His name is Sylvain… you know this.”_

**“Do you think he is going to make another advance toward you?"** she giggled **"I'm going back to sleep. Goodnight!”**

_"Sothis! No... Sothis?"_

She tilted her head and leaned back slightly. “Why are you acting like this?”

Sylvain chuckled nervously and crossed his arms behind his head. “What do you mean, By?”

Irritation burned through her. “I’m not one of your “lovely ladies” that you can use flowery language to butter up. We just spent most of the evening together and you didn’t have your normal mask up, so where is this coming from?”

He ran a hand through his hair and said, “What? I can’t flirt with a pretty girl, just because I want to?” She started to shut the door, but he stopped it with his foot.

Sylvain slumped against the door frame and looked down at his shoes. “OK, fine. You got me. I need to ask a favor…” He pushed a letter into her hands and after one last glance at the obviously anxious Sylvain she read:

_**Sylvain Jose Gautier,** _

_**I did not receive a reply after my last letter. I hope you know that even though you have not yet taken up your future title of Margrave, your duty still lies in keeping those in our territory safe.** _   
_**It seems you were unable to finish off all of Miklan’s gang of thieves. They have entered Gautier land in an attempt at some foolish retribution. They are harassing the village near the Manor. I am unable to see to it myself because there has been more trouble at the border than usual. I expect you to come and take care of the issue, as is your duty.** _   
_**Do not ask the Church to intervene. Miklan’s thievery and your continued recklessness have done enough to blemish the name of House Gautier.** _

_**Regards,** _   
_**Margrave Gautier** _

She chuckled dryly and looked up at him. “Your family is going to be the death of me.” She had meant it as a joke, but something dark passed over his face and he seemed to crumble into himself.   
She placed a hand on his arm and stepped a little closer. “I’m sorry, that was insensitive after… everything.”

Sylvain groaned and ran a hand over his face. “No, you’re right. I shouldn’t have even asked. Goddess knows we don’t deserve any more of your help.” He took the paper from her and crumpled it in his hand. “I will need to go and speak with Seteth. I’ll be gone for a few days.” He turned to leave and she caught his arm.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

He raised his hand with the crumpled letter in it. “Duty calls.” His voice was empty of all the things that made him Sylvain and a dull pain shot through her chest.

“You think you are going alone?”

He raised an eyebrow and stared at her. “It’s what my father expects of me.”

“You’ll die if you go on your own.”

He shrugged and gave a weighted sigh. “So be it. Maybe then my father will care about one of his sons.”

She grabbed his hand and pulled him into her room and shut the door. She pushed him up against it and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. “I’m coming with you.”  
His arms slowly circled her waist and his head dipped to hide in the crook of her neck. His breath on her neck sent a shiver down her spine.

“Are you still cold?” He rubbed her sides lightly.

“Yeah, kind of.” Her cheeks warmed and she stepped out of his hold and turned toward her desk to look over a map of Fodlan that hung above it. “How long is the journey to Gautier territory?”  
Sylvain stepped up behind her and turned her back toward him. “You don’t have to come. You are still healing.”

She shook her head. “There’s no way I’m letting you go alone. Screw your father and his expectations.” His eyes suddenly darkened as his pupils dilated and he stepped closer to her, placing a hand on the desk directly behind her. Her mouth went dry and she swiped her tongue along her lower lip, trying to wet it. Sylvain’s eyes followed the motion before darting back up to hers. 

“Besides…” it came out a lot louder than she intended and Sylvain startled slightly “… it will be good training before the Battle of the Eagle and Lion. Flayn could use the battle experience. And you could take Emery? It’ll be good practice and it will really piss off your father.”

She turned her back and took a deep breath. _What is WRONG with me?_ She reached out her finger and placed it where they were at the monastery before tracing up to Gautier Territory. Sylvain leaned forward and his finger traced the same motion. “It will be almost three days of travel to get to Gautier. We would be gone for a week.” His voice was low in her ear and she could feel the warmth of his body behind her. He’s doing this on purpose. _He’s just trying to tease me, to fluster me._

“Alright. I’ll go and see Lady Rhea right now. I should be able to get to everyone before curfew and we’ll leave early tomorrow.” She turned around but he didn’t move, he just stood there staring at her. _Does he have… freckles? I’ve never noticed that before._ She cleared her throat loudly and said, “Well, I should probably get dressed.” 

Sylvain stepped back slightly and rubbed the back of his head. “Right. Thank you, By. I’ll see you in the morning.”

The Archbishop didn’t give her much trouble about her request to leave the monastery with her class. She explained that she had received a request to help aid Kingdom knights against bandits and she had approved without too many questions. It would be the first time Flayn had traveled with them and the girl was ecstatic, she could hardly keep still as they grouped together at the stables, preparing to set off.

She stood before the group and took in their tired faces. “We are heading for Gautier territory. It seems some of Miklan’s men are terrorizing a village there. We all remember how cruel their group is, we cannot let this stand. Thank you for being willing to come. Let’s march.”

  
They made good time, arriving after two and a half days of travel. It was early afternoon when they spotted the village Miklan’s men were terrorizing. They left a wagon full of their supplies with the horses nearby before splitting into two groups to form a pincer attack. Dimitri lead Sylvain, Dedue, Ingrid, and Mercedes while she had Ashe, Annette, Felix, and Flayn with her. 

It was a small group, and without Miklan’s leadership they crumpled easily, even with just her students with her. Emery let out a roar as they finished and she looked up and smiled as Sylvain circled above her. They descended and Sylvain dismounted to run toward her. “My father is heading this way with his elite guard.”

“He’s… what?”

Sylvain groaned and ran a hand down his face. “I knew he had some ulterior motive for having me come up here.” He grabbed her arms and whispered, “I didn’t tell him you were our teacher. I’m sorry. I was so angry when you first started and things were so complicated… I…”

She stepped back and shook her head roughly. “Let’s go meet him.” She turned to the rest of the students that were circling around her. “Leave the valuables we retrieved. I’m sure the Margrave’s men can handle making sure the villagers get everything back.” With one last look at Sylvain she walked toward the edge of the village where she could see a group of knights approaching.

On a huge black warhorse, sat Margrave Gautier. He looked a lot older than the last time she had seen him, the worry lines contrasted against his fair skin and fiery hair. Sylvain stood beside her, stiff and uncomfortable and she could hear Felix grumbling something behind her.

If the Margrave was surprised to see her, he didn’t show it. He dismounted and handed the reins to one of his knights and walked toward her and Sylvian. He was the picture of the perfect nobleman, and something about that made rage burn in her gut. Or maybe that was the fact that he had been a silent observer to all of the misfortunes that had made Sylvain fall apart. He was the man who made Sylvain hate the idea of his future, and she hated him for it.

She gave a short bow with an arm crossed over her chest. “Margrave Gautier, it is an honor to see you again.” Felix chuckled quietly behind her, and Sylvain stiffened even further. 

The Margrave looked her over slowly, his eyes were calculating. “Miss Eisner… or should I call you Professor Eisner? You have been the talk of the Kingdom and beyond as of late.” She quirked an eyebrow and raised her head. 

He turned toward his son. “Sylvain, I see you and your classmates are faring well under Professor Eisner’s guidance. I wish to speak with you. I’ve sent a messenger ahead to prepare rooms for you all.”

She glanced at Sylvain and noticing his discomfort stepped forward and said, “We appreciate it, Margrave, however we should really be getting back to the monastery.”

He turned toward her and smiled, it looked so similar to Sylvain’s mask that it made her stomach turn. “Oh nonsense, Miss Eisner. I’m sure your students would appreciate a nice meal and a warm bed before making the long journey home, correct Your Highness?”

Dimitri cleared his throat and stepped up beside her. “Of course. Professor, are you sure we cannot spare a night?”

She looked to the rest of her students and noticing their fatigue she nodded. “Alright, one night should be fine.” Her class cheered and headed toward where they had left the wagon and horses. 

The Margrave gave her a smug smile before walking back to his horse and swinging into the saddle. “We shall lead you the rest of the way.” He and his knights watched and waited as she walked toward Sylvain.

“I’m sorry, with the Margrave and Dima against me…”

He shook his head and sighed, “No, it’s fine. I can’t avoid this forever.” She put a hand on his arm and he stepped away from it. “You shouldn’t…” He sighed again and rubbed a hand through his hair. “My father is watching. We should go.”

She crossed her arms and looked up at him. “Do you want me to take Emery? You can ride my horse.” He nodded and walked over to the rest of the class as she ran over to mount Emery. With a roar she took to the skies and Byleth tried to clear her head.

_“I don’t like this, Sothis. I feel like I’ve walked into a trap.”_

Sothis hummed in acknowledgement in the back of her mind. **“It was interesting that he already knew you were his son’s teacher, when the philanderer admitted to not having told him. His plan may not be toward you, but toward his son. Best to keep your distance.”**

_“He looks so… anxious. I don’t like it.”_

**"You are just being overprotective."**

When they landed, servants came to take their horses. They balked at Emery, not knowing how to care for a wyvern. She told the rest of the class to head in and one servant lead her to a bigger set of stables that had an open stall. She requested some meat from the kitchens and went about unsaddling and caring for Emery. At the sound of footsteps, she turned to find Felix, watching her closely.

“I haven’t been here in what feels like forever.” His voice was quiet and had a softness that she wasn’t sure what to do with.

“I’m sorry. I tried to get us out of this, but with the Margrave and the Prince of Faerghus against me I don’t stand a chance.”

Felix chuckled and leaned against the stall door. “I’m sure Sylvain appreciated the attempt. He hates it here.”

She walked closer and leaned against the stall beside him. “I don’t blame him. I feel as if I’ve walked into an enemy ambush.” Felix quirked an eyebrow at her and she shook her head. “Sylvain didn’t tell his father about me either, but he still seemed to know anyway. And he made that odd comment about people talking about me.”

Felix’s eye narrowed as he looked toward the Manor. “That’s politics for you. Noblemen and their games.”

She chuckled softly and crossed her arms. “I knew back then that I wasn’t meant to be in your world.”

Felix turned sharply and she could feel his stare. “What are you talking about?”

“You and your beautiful people, in your beautiful clothes, living in your beautiful homes… I’ve never had a place here. I’m the Ashen Demon, I don’t exactly fit in.”

Felix grunted and leaned back against the stall beside her. “You aren’t the only one.”

She turned to face him and took a moment to appreciate his profile. His dark hair was still a mess from battle, his eyes were narrowed and his lips were pursed in thought. _I think you do… even if you don’t._

Wind blew past and snow began to fall, making her shiver. Felix glanced over and smirked at her. “You should get inside. You aren’t dressed for the weather here.”

The servant walked out with the meat she needed for Emery and she took it with a nod. “Want to help me feed Emery?”

Felix glanced at the wyvern and then back to her. “Not a chance.” She chuckled and he crossed his arms. “But if you hurry, I’ll wait for you.”

  
She and Felix were greeted by more servants when they finally entered the manor. They were both led to separate rooms and she realized that Sylvain had her bags, and she had his because they swapped mounts. She walked out into the hallway and had no idea where to go. A servant passed and she waved them down. “Do you know where Sylvain is?” 

The servant nodded and said, “Are you Miss Eisner?” She nodded and the servant smiled. “I was sent to fetch you. Follow me.” 

They led her to a door, and she could hear shouting on the other side. The servant knocked softly and the shouting quieted before the door opened. Standing in front of her was a visibly distressed Sylvain. He grimaced when he looked down at her and she frowned. He shook his head and stepped to the side. She immediately recognized the room that she had been dragged into all those years ago.

“Professor Eisner, please come in.” The Margrave’s voice was full of practiced charm as he beckoned for her to come in. “I have heard many stories of my son’s… recklessness. I must apologize on his behalf.”

She kept her face impassive and crossed her arms. “Do you speak of Miklan or Sylvain?”

The Margrave paled slightly before clearing his throat and saying, “I was speaking of Sylvain, though I must apologize on behalf of Miklan as well. He was no longer a son of mine, but you were left with the task of obtaining the Lance of Ruin, and for that I am grateful.” He motioned toward the wall and mounted there was the Lance of Ruin. She shivered slightly when she looked at it, remembering the weird power that emanated from it as it turned Miklan into that monster.

“Sylvain is intelligent and capable. I require no apology on his behalf. I enjoy teaching him.”

The Margrave smiled that same fake smile and nodded his head. “It is most fortunate that he gained you as a Professor. Lord Rodrigue seems to think you were placed in your lives by the goddess herself, helping Sylvain all those years ago and then saving His Highness. It is most extraordinary.”

She bowed with an arm across her chest. “Thank you, Margrave Gautier, but I only did what anyone would have done in that situation.”

The Margrave looked her over with that same calculating stare again, but she stood firm. “I have also been informed that you bear the Crest of Flames, and are now the wielder of the Sword of the Creator.” He stared pointedly at the sword currently strapped to her hip. “You are also being hailed as the Archbishop’s prodigy.”

She nodded stiffly and Sylvain stepped slightly closer to her before saying, “What is it you want, father? You didn’t bring her here to sing empty praises.”

The Margrave looked between them and chuckled dryly. “I just wished to speak to the woman who saved my son all those years ago. Why wouldn’t I sing her praises?” Sylvain still glared at him and he sighed. “Also, I’ve received a letter from Lord Rodrigue. It seems they are struggling with thieves in their territory as well. If you have the time, I’m sure he would appreciate the help. I don’t have the men to spare. If you’re willing, I’ll send a messenger to him immediately.”

“We would be happy to help.”

The Margrave smiled up at her and nodded. “Very well. And Sylvain? You will take the Lance of Ruin when you go. You have earned it. Now, you two should go and get cleaned up for dinner.”

Sylvain bowed slightly and said, “Thank you, father.” Before opening the door and motioning her out. As soon as the door shut behind them, he grabbed her arm and pulled her down various hallways before stepping into a room and pulling her inside. As soon as the door shut, he groaned and slumped against it. “I’m sorry about him.”

She stepped toward him and put an arm on his shoulder. “It’s alright. What were you fighting about?”

He grimaced and looked away from her. “It was nothing. Just another potential spouse to throw at me, scolding me for my recklessness, and drilling me about my duty because of my damned Crest. It’s always the same nonsense, even after…”

She stepped into his space and raised her arms to hug around his neck, he leaned down and wrapped his arms around her waist, digging his face into the crook of her neck. She noticed he does that whenever he’s really stressed or vulnerable. “Are you thinking about Miklan?”

He trembled slightly and hugged her tighter against him. His voice was muffled against her skin as he said, “Seeing the Lance of Ruin brought it all back. Miklan hated me from the moment he found out I had a Crest and he didn’t. He was selfish and egotistical. Even now, I’m still cleaning up his messes.”

There was a knock on the door and she stepped behind it as he opened it, fearing it was a servant or one of his parents. Felix stepped in, hair still damp from his bath, and quirked a brow when he saw her. “Are you alright, Syl?”

Sylvain trembled slightly and she shut the door behind him before grabbing one of his hands. “I just keep thinking… What if it was the other way around? What if Miklan had the Crest and I didn’t… would I be the one my father thought was worth forgetting? Or would my fate have been wholly unlike his?”

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “Thinking like that won’t get you anywhere.”

Watching Sylvain’s mask slip on was eerie. He dropped her hand, stood up straighter and slapped the same smile as his father’s, across his face. “You’re probably right. It’s not like me, is it?”

Felix shook his head and groaned. “You’re doing it again. You don’t need to do that with us and you know it.” Byleth nodded in agreement and took his hand again.

Sylvain looked between them and sighed. “I hate being here. I hate it. How is this supposed to be the rest of my life? How am I supposed to wield the lance that killed my brother? How am I supposed to take over a title I don’t want and still do the people justice?” His lip began to tremble as he lowered his head.

She chuckled slightly and put a hand on his arm. “Maybe you should both run away with me. We’ll start our own mercenary group. We’ll rival even my father’s.” 

Felix chuckled beside her. “Don’t tempt me. That sounds preferable to honor and duty.”

Sylvain raised his head and looked between them. “Just… just promise we’ll be friends? Promise that this year isn’t going to end and we’ll never see each other again. I don’t think I can stand the idea of marrying some random woman and having to never see you guys again.”

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “We already have our promise. It’s basically the same thing.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Promise?”

Felix softened slightly and stared at Sylvain as he said, “The day after Miklan tried to kill Sylvain we sat in this room and I made Sylvain promise that we were going to stay together until we died together. If this fool would train more, maybe we’ll get there.”

The image of Felix’s broken body in the tower flashed before her and she turned away from them, wrapping her arms around her torso.

**“You stopped it from happening. Your friends are safe.”**

_“I may have stopped it from happening, but I didn’t forget.”_

“By?” Sylvain’s voice was soft behind her.

Felix stepped around to stand in front of her. “What is it?”

_“Should I… could I tell them?”_

**“Do you think they would believe you?”**

_“I could turn back time if they don’t.”_

Sothis scoffed in the back of her mind. **“That seems like a great use of my power.”**

 _“I'm glad you think so, too.”_ Sothis groaned, but went quiet.

Sylvain stepped into her field of view and she looked between them as they watched her in concern. “I… I…” she sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “I should get cleaned up and check on the rest of the Lions. Sylvain, your bags are in my room, I think you have mine.”

They looked at each other and then back at her. Sylvain stepped over to the bed and grabbed her packs, “I’ll walk you back to your room.”

She chuckled slightly, “Thanks. I don’t think I could find it on my own anyway.”

Felix narrowed his eyes and searched her face before groaning and putting a fist on his hip. “I guess I’ll just see you two at dinner.”

“Oh! I almost forgot.” Felix and Sylvain turned to her. “Both of you have to deal with your fathers this trip.” Felix’s eyes narrowed and his fists clenched at his sides. “Your father requested aid from the Margrave, bandits are attacking a village in your territory. We are being sent because the Margrave doesn’t have the men necessary to help. We’ll be stopping there on the way back.”

He groaned and his shoulders slumped. “Why is the old man so incompetent? He can’t even deal with bandits?”

Sylvain chuckled and patted his shoulder. “You know it’s not like that, Fe. The Kingdom is a mess everywhere right now with the Regent being too busy sleeping around to take care of things.”   
Both of them turned to stare at him and he flushed and rubbed the back of his head. “Believe me, I see the irony.”

She laughed and the sound echoed through the room. “As long as you see it.” Sylvain sighed, but smiled down at her. 

Felix gave an unimpressed grunt and stalked past her to the door. “I’ll go, but I won’t be happy about it.”

Sylvain chuckled and stuck out an arm for her to loop hers through. “When are you ever, Fe?”

She woke early the next morning to a knock at her door. She sat up with a groan and walked to the door. On the other side was Sylvain’s mother with a sad smile on her face. “I was wondering if I could speak with you for a moment.” Byleth nodded and opened the door to let her in. She seemed tired, her movements were slow and her eyes were dazed.

“I wanted to ask you how Sylvain is doing?”

Byleth tilted her head to the side. “Have you spoken to him?”

She nodded slowly, but her eyes looked sad. “My son… my son does not trust me. I fear he may never trust me. He tells me he is fine, but I see the way he looks at you. He trusts you… and I want to know if my son is alright.”

Byleth crossed her arms and tilted a cheek into her fist. “The last two months have been really hard for him. I think he’s doing better now.”

Sylvain’s mother smiled softly and nodded. “Thank you.” She stepped forward and took Byleth’s hand. “May I ask a favor?” Byleth nodded slowly and glanced down at their hands. “You have done so much for us, but I must ask one more thing. Will you keep him safe for me? Will you watch out for him? Seeing him last night with you and the rest of the Blue Lions brought me so much joy, but I worry for him.”

Byleth placed her free hand on top of Sylvain’s mothers. “Of course, I will. He’s my friend, I never want to see him harmed.” _Even if I never forget, I’ll always change things to keep him safe._

“Thank you.” Sylvain’s mother walked toward the door, but paused when she reached the handle. “Sylvain went for a walk down by the wishing well. He might need a friend right now.” With another sad smile she left.

  
It took her a long time to make her way outside into the freezing cold. How do they live like this?! How did I never feel this before? She followed the semi-familiar path past the gazebo toward the wishing well and found Sylvain slumped against it.

Sylvain turned as she walked up behind him and he ran over. “What are you doing out here? You’ll freeze in that.” 

She looked down at her mercenary garb. “You’re right. I probably will… but a little birdie told me you were out here and I wanted to check on you.”

Sylvain sighed heavily and turned to the wishing well. He didn’t speak for several quiet moments. “My whole life changed the day I met you here.” Byleth stayed quiet and gave him space, remembering how angry he had been with her when she first arrived. Would he act like that again after coming here and having to remember everything?

Sylvain turned to her and smiled. It was small, but it was sincere. “I think… I don’t think I’m angry about that anymore.” She tilted her head and he chuckled. “Don’t get me wrong, I still hate Miklan and everything he did to me… and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to comfortably exist around my parents…” He stepped closer to her and he stared into her eyes. “… but I’m happy I met you that day.”

She snorted and crossed her arms. “I could think of better ways to have a first meeting.”

Sylvain smirked and stepped into her space, the warmth radiating from him was welcome against the chill of the air around them. “What could possibly be better than my own warrior goddess, flying down to save me from my evil brother?” He winked and chuckled softly.

She stepped back and shook her head. “Again, with the flowery language? What do you want this time?”

The smile dropped from his lips and he stepped forward so they were close again. “I’m not… that wasn’t…” He groaned and ran a hand through his hair before turning back to the wishing well. “Forget it. I just wanted to thank you for everything you did for me that day. I know I didn’t ever sincerely thank you… so this is me… trying to do that.”

She tilted her head and stared at his back for a while. She chuckled and he turned around slowly. “Did I ever tell you that that first day after I helped you, Jeralt teased me because I didn’t know your name so I called you “the pretty boy with the eyes that remind me of the caramel candies you buy me sometimes”. He said I needed to work on my nicknaming skills.”

Sylvain laughed a big genuine laugh that made her chest fill with warmth. He stepped closer to her and she leaned her head into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. “Are you sure you don’t want to just call me that all the time? It's a great nickname! I think it’s much better than Sylvain Jose Gautier, though it is just as much of a mouthful.”

She chuckled softly and squeezed him a bit tighter. “Don’t sass me, Syl. I’m too cold.”


	36. Chapter 36

~Felix~

“Are you ready for this?” Byleth pulled her horse up beside him, pulling him out of his musings.

“I wish my father wasn’t dragging you into this. All of this is because of my family’s failure to secure the safety of our citizens. It shouldn’t be your problem.”

Byleth smirked before facing the road ahead. “You know me, Fe. I would never turn down someone asking for help. Besides, it’s more exciting than the training grounds, right?”

He chuckled and let out a heavy sigh. “I suppose… I never tire of watching you fight, though. Be it the training grounds or real battle.”

“A compliment from Felix Fraldarius? What will I do with myself?” Byleth chuckled and he felt his face warm.

“You’ve been spending too much time with Sylvain.” _Really… you’ve been spending too much time with Sylvain._ They had been together the entire time they were at the Gautier Manor. Sylvain was a ball of anxiety and Felix could tell that Byleth was worried that he might fall back into whatever mental hole he had just crawled out of, but he couldn’t stop feeling… angry about it. 

She hummed in acknowledgment but didn’t say anything, staring ahead. They were getting close to where the Margrave had said they were to meet his father. He could feel the tension in his shoulders and neck grow the closer they got. Why the old man? Why now? 

He heard wingbeats and glanced up to see Sylvain flying down on that awful winged beast that he was definitely not afraid of. “We’re getting close, By. But it looks like the Fraldarius Knights are having trouble holding them off. There’s still villagers in there as well.”

“Mercedes and Flayn, you stay with the wagon. Get ready to help heal villagers and Fraldarius Knights! Everyone else, with me!” She kicked her horse and sped off, Felix right behind her. _Be okay, old man. Or I’ll kill you myself._

The scene was grim. The theives had the meager amount of knights that his old man had brought with him surrounded and they were fighting tooth and nail to hold them off while trying to protect the villagers that had been unlucky enough to be trapped.

“Sylvain! Let Lord Rodrigue know we are here!” 

The wyvern let out a roar and his father’s head whipped around immediately spotting them. _Well… that’ll do it._ “Felix! My son!”

“Ingrid and Sylvain! Fly around to the other side of town to try and distract some of the thieves. Everyone else, your priority is getting the townsfolk to safety. I’m going to go and join the knights.”

She dismounted and started running before her horse had even completely come to a stop.

Felix grunted as he dismounted with far less grace. “I’m coming with you.” She groaned but nodded as they sprinted toward his father. Byleth was cutting down thieves as they went, and he fought to keep up. 

He heard his father let out a cry of pain and his adrenaline surged. Byleth lifted her hands and cast a massive Bolganone spell that killed three of the thieves that were getting closer to his father’s knights. She launched the Sword of the Creator and took out the thief that had stabbed his father in the side and two of his knights stepped in the guard him as he fell to the ground.

“I have to go and heal your father. Stay close and tell me if anyone needs help.” His father was in rough shape when they finally reached his side. Byleth shouted, “Go and help my students get the townsfolk to safety! I’ll take care of him.”   
The soldiers looked between themselves but stood firm until his father said, “Just do as she says.” His guards ran off to help and Felix dropped into a defensive stance, ready to guard them if necessary. “Byleth, it seems I am indebted to you. You showed up just in time.”

“Everything’s alright, Lord Rodrigue. I’ll get you healed up and back on your horse so we can get you out of here.”

A group of seven bandits stormed out of a home nearby, and seeing his father on the ground, immediately headed toward them. “Byleth... might need your help on this one.”

Byleth cursed under her breath. “Felix, stay here and watch him.” The healing magic glow faded from her fingers as she stood and sprinted toward the bandits. With a yell she unfurled the Sword of the Creator and took out two of them, they screamed as they fell. One of them threw a hand axe at her, and she bent over backwards to dodge it, before casting a thunder spell that hit him square in the chest.

Felix heard the wyvern roar and watched as she picked up one of the bandits in her jaws and gave him a shake before throwing him to the ground. Sylvain used the Lance of Ruin to take out another before the wyvern took to the sky once more.

“She is extraordinary.” 

Felix glanced around to make sure none of the thieves were coming toward them. “I know she is, old man.” His father chuckled before wincing in pain. “We have healers waiting with our supplies. As soon as Byleth finishes off the last two she should be able to patch you up so you can get to safety with the rest of the villagers.”

“She’s skilled in reason magic, healing magic, and the sword?” His father’s voice was the same irritating amused tone it always was, even as he clutched the wound at his side. “You are quite lucky to have her as a professor.” 

“Felix behind you!” Byleth cried as she ran back toward them. 

Felix whipped around and spotted the two swordsmen that were sprinting towards them. He leapt over the old man and sprinted towards them, parrying one strike that was intended for his father. He grunted as his Crest flared and he swiped once across the bandit’s chest before bringing his sword back to stab him through. The second tried to take advantage of his distraction, but he dodged out of the way before he could sustain any injuries. This bandit was more skilled with the sword than the last, but after a few moments he fell to Felix's blade.

  
Byleth chuckled and knelt by his father, “Most impressive. I think you’re almost ready for your swordsmaster certification Felix. Keep an eye on things for a little longer.” Her hands lit up with healing magic once more and the old man sighed as it washed over him.

“Your faith magic has a very peculiar feel, Byleth.”

Felix turned slightly to listen while guarding them. “It does?”

Rodrigue chuckled and said, “Yes. I’ve been healing and being healed for many years. Yours feels… different somehow.”

She sat back on her heels and looked over where the wound had been on his side. “I’ve only been learning since I moved to the monastery. Maybe I’m just not proficient enough yet.” She hummed slightly and nodded to herself. “It seems we have you patched up enough, though. Do you think you could ride out of here?”

“I can continue to fight, Byleth. No need to worry about me.”

She chuckled and fake whispered, “Well if you are anything like your son, I don’t trust you.”

Felix gruffed, “I heard that, idiot.”

She snorted and called back, “You were meant to, idiot.” She helped Rodrigue back onto his horse. “We have a wagon waiting at the entrance on the western side of the village. Take any villagers you come across with you.”

The old man laughed and called out, “Yes, Miss Eisner!” Before taking off toward the entrance.

She stepped beside him and scanned the area quickly. Sylvain, the boar, and Dedue were finishing off some bandits in the north eastern part of the village. Ingrid, Annette, and Ashe were working with some of the knights in the southeastern part. The west where they had come in was all cleared out.

“The old man likes you too much.”

She chuckled and turned toward him. “I wasn’t aware your father liking me would be a problem.” She shrugged and sighed. “At least he’s kind. The Margrave was passive aggressive every time he spoke to me.”

She hummed softly to herself and said, “They are handling themselves well, even without orders. You have all come far in the last few months. I can’t believe we are almost six months into the school year already.”

“It seems like just yesterday you showed up.”

The boar, Dedue, and Sylvain finished off the last of their bandits and started to head towards them. The wyvern immediately landed near them and nuzzled into Byleth as Sylvain laughed from the saddle. The boar smiled and called, “Is Rodrigue alright?”

She nodded as she pet the wyvern. “Yes, I’ve sent him to Mercedes and Flayn. I’ll head there as soon as the others finish. She ran toward the southeastern corner and called over her shoulder, “You guys head back. We’ll be there soon!”

Sylvain smiled from the back of the wyvern. “Want a ride, Fe?” 

“I’m fine on the ground, Sylvain.”

Sylvain raised an eyebrow as the boar and Dedue took off toward the wagon. “Wait… Fe are you scared of Emery.”

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “I’m not scared of anything. I just prefer smaller animals that don’t have the blood of their enemy’s dripping from their fangs.”

The wyvern tossed her head and bared her teeth, as if she was proud of what he said before Sylvain laughed and they took to the air. “Suit yourself.”

When he reached the wagon, he walked up to where the boar and his father were talking. His old man was fawning over his new favorite son as the boar prince soaked up the attention.  
The boar became serious suddenly and said, “It doesn’t seem like they were remnants of Miklan’s faction like the ones we just routed in Gautier territory.”

The old man shook his head and frowned. “Indeed. Nothing but common bandits, and yet ruffians like that have recently surged in number.”

“I am aware. I am glad we could save the villagers.”

Rodrigue put a hand on the boar’s shoulder and smiled. “Yes, it is most fortunate that you arrived when you did. Thank you, Your Highness.”

“It was Byleth who came to save your sorry ass, not the boar.” 

Rodrigue sighed heavily and turned toward him. “Felix, my son. You cannot speak to His Highness in such a manner.”

Felix crossed his arms and scoffed, but felt a hand on his shoulder and spun around. Byleth smiled softly and asked, “How are you feeling, Lord Rodrigue?”

“Please, call me Rodrigue.”

She nodded, raising an eyebrow and giving him what Felix recognized as her Professor's gaze, and waited for him to answer her question. Rodrigue laughed and clapped a hand on Felix’s shoulder. “I can see how you keep these ones in line. I am fine, Byleth.” Byleth nodded and circled, checking over the rest of the students. There were no major injuries, and Mercedes and Flayn were in the middle of patching some of the knights and villagers up.

“We thank you for your help, Byleth. This village was important to the late king. If we hadn’t saved it, I wouldn’t have been able to face his Majesty.”

“How foolish.” His voice was sharp as he clenched his fists.

“Pardon?” His father’s eyebrows raised as he turned to him.

“We were protecting your subjects, not your ego. I don’t give a damn as to whether you can bring yourself to face a dead king.” The boar took in a sharp breath and Byleth placed a hand on his shoulder which he shook off.

The old man’s eyes narrowed as he said, “I will not tolerate such language from you.”

“I came here to hone my blade and save innocent people. I suppose if I had died, you would say the same thing you did after Glenn’s death. “He died like a true knight.” I…” 

Byleth stepped in front of him and put a hand on each of his shoulders. “Fe… that’s enough.” He glared at her but didn’t move away from her touch as his shoulder loosened slightly. 

He glanced over Byleth’s shoulder. “I have nothing more to say. I’m going back.”

Byleth’s eyes stayed on him as his father sighed and said, “At least come back with us and get a good night’s rest before making the journey to the monastery.”

Byleth stared into his eyes and he rolled his eyes, but nodded. She dropped her hands and turned to Rodrigue. “We would love to, Lord Rodrigue. Two battles in two days may have been a little much for the students. I’m sure they would appreciate it.”

“Fe, will you go and tell the others the plan?” He looked between her and the old man before giving a curt nod and walking off.

He stalked over to the wagon and yelled, “We are going back with my old man. We’ll be sleeping there tonight before heading back to the monastery in the morning.” 

Everyone nodded and started the process of packing everything up. He turned to watch Byleth talk to his old man. His father was smiling and had a hand on Byleth’s shoulder.

“You okay? It looked pretty intense there for a second.” Sylvain walked up and stood beside him, resting a hand on his shoulder which he immediately brushed off.

“He likes her too much. It irritates me.”

Sylvain chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. “Why, Fe?”

Felix crossed his arms and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t know.”

“Well, I guess everything irritates you. No surprise there, right?” Sylvain chuckled and crossed his arms behind his head. “Are you going to be alright at home? When’s the last time you’ve seen your mom? Wait… By hasn’t met your mom, has she?”

Felix grimaced and said, “No, she hasn’t.”

“Do you think she’ll like By?”

“I guess we’ll find out.” Felix sighed and headed over to his horse. There was one upside to going to the house, and it wasn’t Byleth meeting his mother.

  
They arrived after an hour-long ride and Felix felt the tension build up inside of him. A headache began to pound against his skull and he slumped slightly in the saddle. _Glenn…_ Being home held too many memories and brought up too many feelings. He was hoping that he wouldn’t have to come back here until after graduation.

Byleth rode up beside him. “That was… quite the rant earlier. Are you going to be alright?”

He grunted and stared straight ahead. “You are going to meet my mother.”

Byleth was quiet for a long time and her voice was quiet when she asked, “Is that… okay?”

He turned to look at her and furrowed his brow. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

She tilted her head and looked him over. “You look tense. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

They were greeted at the gate by some of the servants. “Lord Felix. Welcome home!” He nodded curtly and dismounted before walking over to Byleth. 

“After you get cleaned up, I want to show you something.”

She tilted her head and stared at him for a while before answering, “Okay.”

An hour later he was pacing outside the door of the room that she had been given. She opened the door and raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”

He grunted and placed a hand on his hip. “I’m waiting for you.”

She rolled her eyes and closed the door behind her. “Okay. What did you want to show me?”

He led her down the halls of his childhood home, heading toward the private sitting room that his father and mother used. She was as observant as ever, taking in her surroundings as they walked. When they got to the correct door he stopped and she slowed behind him.

“Fe… are you… okay?”

He took a deep breath and reached out his hand to open the door. “You introduced me to your mom.” She nodded slowly and looked at him in concern. He opened the door and motioned her in. “Well… I want you to meet Glenn.” 

She stepped through the doors and her eyes widened slightly. On the wall hung a portrait of Glenn that his father had commissioned on the day of his knighting ceremony. He was in his full dress armor and held the same sword that was currently sitting in the crypt where his destroyed armor had been buried. He crossed his arms and stared at her as she took in the image of Glenn.

She glanced over at him with a smirk and said, “He was handsome.” 

Felix’s jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed. “That’s what you are going to say?”

She chuckled slightly and stepped in front of him, her back to the portrait. “Well… you look a lot alike.” He raised an eyebrow and he felt his face warm. “But I like your eyes more. They hold so much more…” she glanced over her shoulder before facing him again “… heat. Does that make sense?” She tilted her head to her fist and stared at him.

“No.”

She chuckled and stepped forward slightly, stepping into his space. “Can I hug you?”

He realized that his arms were still crossed and his shoulders were basically at his ears with how anxious he was. He took a deep breath and dropped his arms and she stepped forward to wrap her arms around his neck. He circled her waist and bit back a sigh at the touch.

“Thank you for showing me. I know that must have been hard for you.”

He nodded slightly and tucked his head into her shoulder. “Being home… it holds too many memories. There’s too many…” He gritted his teeth and she reached up to untie his hair so she could run her hands through it. “There’s too many feelings here.” He could feel her nod as she continued to run her hands through his hair. After a moment she loosened her grip on his neck, giving him the opportunity to step away, but he tightened his hold on her waist. For once he was enjoying the contact.

“When I first met you…” he swallowed around the lump in his throat and took a deep breath “… one of the first things I thought was that I didn’t want you to meet Glenn.” She tensed slightly in his hold and he began drawing patterns on her lower back with his fingertips. “I wanted to keep you to myself.” She relaxed and chuckled softly against him. “But now… now I’m sad he’ll never get to meet you. And…” his eyes started to burn and he buried his head deeper “And I hate that. I hate that he’ll never get to watch you fight, that I'll never get to spar with him again, that he can’t see how much I’ve grown. I hate that I’ll never get to beat him.” He trembled slightly and she pressed herself into him as he clung to her like a lifeline. “I miss him. I hate that he didn't get to meet you.” 

She held him close and hummed a melody he didn’t recognize. He relaxed slightly against her as she began to stroke his hair again. “Thank you for telling me, Fe. I like it when you let me in like this.”

Panic rang in the back of his mind. He was here, in his home, holding her and talking about Glenn. _This isn't who I am anymore._ He scoffed and stepped away from her while crossing his arms that still had a bit of her warmth. “It was only fair. You showed me your mom.” 

She tilted her head and a strange looked passed over before she nodded. “I guess that’s true.” She turned and stared at the portrait again. “Do you want to go and find the others?” 

“No. Let’s stay here, just a little longer.”

  
Dinner came and the Lions all filed into the dining room. His father sat at the head of the table and his mom sat to his right when they started to enter. He walked in just before Byleth and his mother ran up to smother him in a hug. “Felix… it’s so good to see you.” He nodded and stepped out of her hold.

“Mother, I’d like you to meet Byleth.” 

His mother practically tackled her in a hug and Byleth’s eyes widened before she patted her back awkwardly. Felix had to fight off a chuckle. “It’s so nice to meet the woman I’ve heard so much about over the years!” Felix turned away to try and hide his blush but Sylvain was shaking with silent laughter on the other side of the room so it obviously didn’t work. “Come and sit beside me! I want to hear all about you.” His mother dragged her across the room and she glanced back at him with wide eyes before following. 

Sylvain motioned to the seat beside him and Felix trudged over to where he was. “Well I guess that answers that question.” His eyes were crinkled in amusement and his shoulders trembled from trying to hold in his laughter. 

Felix punched his shoulder and scowled, “Shut up and eat your food, idiot.”

The Lions were exhausted from the days of travel and two days of fighting back to back. As soon as dinner was finished, they all filed out of the dining room. Ingrid stuck around longer than the rest as his parents fussed over her for a while, but eventually it was just he and Byleth with his parents. His mother was still chatting away with Byleth as his old man looked between them in amusement. Byleth looked flustered at the attention and was nervously playing with her hair and biting at her bottom lip. 

His mother looked up at him and said, “Felix, my son, come and join us!” 

He stood slowly and walked to Byleth’s other side. “Mother, Byleth is probably exhausted. We should all retire for the evening.”

Byleth turned and gave him a soft smile, “I’m alright. I’m used to this kind of travel. Are you okay?” She tilted her head and looked him over as he shifted his weight between his feet.

“I’m fine.”

His mother’s face split in a big smile as she reached out her hand, waiting for him to grasp it. “Byleth was just telling me about how you saved her when you were saving Flayn from the Death Knight.”

He took it and then raised an eyebrow at Byleth who shrugged with a smirk. “I try to watch her back. Goddess knows she’s doing it for all of us.”

Rodrigue chuckled and said, “I’m proud of you, son. She has nothing but praises for your sword technique.”

His mother squeezed his hand and when he looked over at her she raised her eyebrow. “She also tells me she’s been trying to get you to study reason magic.”

He scowled and took his hand away. “What use is magic if you are good enough with a blade.”

Byleth snorted and glanced up at him. “None of what I did today would have been possible with just a blade. Even with the Sword of the Creator, I still use magic for anything long range. If you’re scared you can just say it.” She raised her eyebrow in a challenge and his eyes narrowed.

His mother looked between them in amusement as he responded, “Fine. But only if you teach me more about your technique and add on an extra training session on the weekends.” He crossed his arms and glared down at her.

Her eyes crinkled as she nodded. “You’ve got a deal, Fraldarius. I’ll make a decent Mortal Savant out of you. Just you wait.”

“The best. I’m going to be the best Mortal Savant.” She nodded and gave him a soft smile.

His mother sighed and he raised an eyebrow at her. “I love seeing you like this again, my love.” 

He scoffed and turned away slightly. "I have someone to compete with again. That's all."

Byleth stretched her arms above her head and stood. “I think I will retire now. Thank you for dinner.” She turned and bowed to his mother. “It was lovely to meet you.”

She walked toward the door and he matched her stride. They exited and he led her to her room, figuring she wouldn’t know where she was going otherwise. _For how observant she is, she’s not the best at directions._ She made a humming noise in the back of her throat and said, “So that’s what a mother is like.” 

He glanced over at her and noticed she had a soft smile on her lips and her eyes were distant. “Well… that’s what having my mother is like.”

She smirked and her arm around his arm. “What was she talking about when she said she’s heard so much about me?”

He pulled his arm away and looked in the direction they were heading. “They teased me when I came home after meeting you, because I talked about our training a lot.” He could feel her gaze, but he continued looking forward.

“Do you think…” She paused and he risked a glance over at her. She was staring straight ahead and she was nibbling on her lower lip. “Never mind.”

He stopped in front of her door and bowed slightly. “Thank you for helping today.”

She raised an eyebrow and put a hand on her hip. “Did you just… bow to me? Who are you, Ingrid?”

He flushed slightly and coughed. “I’m leaving. Goodnight.” He didn’t turn back when she chuckled and called, “goodnight” to his back.

When he got back to his room, his old man was already outside his door waiting for him. He stopped down the hallway a bit and called, "What do you want, old man."

Rodrigue pulled a box out from behind his back and presented it to him. "I have a little gift for my son before he heads back to the monastery. Is that a problem?"

Felix raised an eyebrow and walked slightly closer. "I guess that depends on what the gift is and why?"

Rodrigue chuckled and thrust the box into his hands. It was heavy and large, and as he opened the lid he grit his teeth. "The Aegis Shield? You're giving me the Aegis Shield?" His family's Relic began to glow as he touched it, pulling it from the box and testing the weight on his arm.

"Yes, I am. After listening to Byleth's stories tonight, I realized that you are every bit the protector a Fraldarius ought to be."

Felix threw the shield into the box at his feet and crossed his arms. "What the hell is that supposed to mean, old man. I'm not Kyphon or grandfather or Glenn. I'm me!"

Rodrigue nodded slowly and stepped forward to place a hand on his shoulder, but he brushed it off. "I am aware that you are you, Felix. You make that fact known every second. My thought was that you come used it to protect His Highness..." Felix opened his mouth to spit out a retort about he was NOT going to give his like for some boar prince but his father quickly finished. "... and the other people you hold dear. Maybe you can use it to help you protect..."

"I get it, old man. That's enough. I'll take it."

Rodrigue chuckled and patted his shoulder. "I'm glad you have someone in your life who understands and cares for you. Those are the people that you must hold tight to, Felix. Try not to push her away." 

Felix picked up the box at his feet and with a slight bow to his father, rushed into his room. He placed the box down on the bed and opened it to stare at the Aegis Shield. _Well... Glenn. Looks like I'm finally doing something you never got to do._ He slid the straps onto his arm and felt the pulsing of the Relic. _I wonder if Byleth can use it... wait._

He boxed it back up and rushed out the door. His father was long gone as he sneaked through the corridors, not wanting to be spotted by any servants who would surely tell his parents he was sneaking around at night, and to Byleth's room no less. When he reached Byleth's door he tapped once and slid into the room. Byleth whispered, "What do you think you are doing, Fraldarius? Everyone has gone to bed." 

He gaped like a fish as she walked up to him, silently cursing his sudden lack of words. He cleared his throat and tried to will the heat in his cheeks away. He walked over to the bed and without looking at her said, "I wanted to show you something." She walked up beside him and looked over his shoulder as he took the lid off of the box, revealing the Aegis Shield. "I wanted to see if it would react to your touch. I walked in without waiting for you to answer the door because I didn't want anyone to see me."

"Right..." Byleth was looking at the Aegis Shield and she reached out her hands to lift it from the box. At her touch is sprang to life, just like in his. "So... it's safe to assume I can wield all of the Relics. That's..."

"Interesting?" Felix supplied the unhelpful word as he fought off a fresh wave of panic. _If anyone finds out..._

She nodded but her face was grim, probably because she was thinking the same things he was. "Yes... interesting."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo... I started a new fic because an idea was haunting me. Updates to this one might become slightly slower for a while. Sorry!


	37. Chapter 37

~Byleth~

It had been two weeks since they had returned from their adventures in the Kingdom. Sylvain was finally on the mend from all of the emotional turmoil he had been through in the last couple months and the Blue Lions were all working hard to prepare for the Battle of the Eagle and Lion that was set to take place in two weeks. Competitive tensions were high among the houses, but so far it had been MOSTLY playful. 

“Claude… do I really need to tell you that using poisons is not something that will be tolerated by any of the faculty?”

“Oh… come on, Teach. Would I really joke about it if it was actually my plan? Besides, fiddling with poisons is really more of a hobby of sorts.”

She grabbed his arm as they were walking towards her room from the dining hall. “Wait. Messing with poisons is a HOBBY of yours?” Claude threw his head back in a laugh. “Why such a dangerous hobby?”

“Well I grew up in an environment where it was necessary to think that way. It’s like I told you before, I wasn’t borne into a life of luxury. Ever since I was a child I was seen as… different. An outsider of sorts. I’ve been resented and hated. There have even been attempts on my life. I don’t believe I’ve earned such treatment, but that’s just how it goes for people like me.” 

She stopped walking and after a couple steps Claude realized she wasn’t following him. He turned around and walked back toward her with a practiced look of calm on his face that made her blood boil. “Have there been any attempts since you came here?”

Claude shook his head and with forced nonchalance said, “Other than the night I met you? Nope. Things have actually been getting pretty boring lately.”

She narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists, Claude chuckled nervously under her gaze. “You know that if you give me names, they won’t be able to try again, right?”

Claude grinned and stepped closer to her. “Easy there, Teach. I’m fine! Everything is fine. I appreciate the thought, though. I would have appreciated having you around as a kid.”

“What about your parents? What did they do about all this?”

A dark look passed over Claude’s face for a fraction of a second before it was replaced with a smirk. “My parents always told me I would never grow stronger if I didn’t learn how to fight my own battles. That’s why I kept running. Kept fighting. As a kid I spent a lot of time licking my wounds, trying to keep out of trouble while plotting against my enemies. Soo… I grew up to be as independent and self-reliant as my parents always wanted me to be. Lucky me, right?”

“What is up with you nobles and your fucked up parents?” She pinched the bridge of her nose and a genuine laugh from Claude rang in her ears. She shook her head slowly before raising her head and staring him in the eyes. She grabbed his shoulders and in the most sincere voice she could muster she said, “You grew up well… but I wish I could have been there for you.”

Verdant green eyes searched hers before a soft smile graced his lips. “You know what? I believe you, Teach. And I appreciate the thought… what is that?” He cocked his head and she tried to listen for whatever he had heard.

“Is that… Dedue?” Claude’s eyebrows flew to his hairline before he grabbed her hand and pushed her up against a pillar. He put a finger over his lips to hush her and peeked out slightly.

“Do NOT mock His Highness.”

“Ha, spoken like a good pet.” Is that… Felix? “Why do you follow him with such devotion? Do you truly think a man like that is worth it?”

“Faerghus destroyed my homeland. It burned it all to the ground and slaughtered my people.”

“The punishment of Duscur.” Byleth’s fists clenched behind the pillar. She began to step out from behind the pillar but Claude pushed her back.

He whispered, “Let’s see what happens.”

She should step in, should defend Dedue, but she wanted to see if Felix could really be this cruel, NEEDED to see if Felix could really be this cruel.

Dedue’s normal calm voice was now a growl as he said, “My father, my mother… my sister—All were killed. We received no aid. No respite. Faerghus murdered our dignity, torched our pride. His Highness is different. He is one of the only people who sees my people as human. I receive hatred from everyone, including you and Ingrid. He risked his life to save mine, and it is thanks to him that I no longer wish for death.” Her heart clenched and Claude released his hold on her so she could step out from behind the pillar. Apparently, he had heard enough as well. Felix’s back was to her, Dedue was the first to spot her and he bowed his head to avoid her gaze.

Felix’s voice was cold. “That’s what we call “blind obedience”. Tell me, would you give your life for him?”

Dedue’s head snapped up and his eyes were narrowed as he answered. “Without hesitation.”

“And if he commanded you to join him in a senseless massacre?”

“I would do it.”

“I’ve heard enough.” Felix turned quickly, his eyes wide and Dedue again bowed his head at the sound of her voice. Her fists were clenched as she stalked up to them. Byleth poked a trembling finger into Felix’s chest as he stared at her, eyes still wide. “Who ARE you?” Her voice was even and cold as her eyes narrowed at him. “The entire Duscur people were slaughtered for the foul actions of a small group. You don’t have to be a genius to realize it was cruel and unwarranted. I highly doubt Dedue’s parents and sister were personally involved in the death of your King and your brother.”

Felix’s eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to spit something back at her but she held up a hand. “I wish to hear no more from you. Leave… now.” 

Felix began to stomp off until he saw Claude. “What are you looking at, von Riegan?”

Claude glanced between the three of them before his eyes landed on her. “Thanks for having lunch with me, Teach. I’ll see you around.” He waved over his shoulder as he quickly walked away. Felix stomped away grumbling under his breath.

Dedue stood before her, head still bowed. “I’m also disappointed in you, my friend.” Dedue would not look at her. “He should not have spoken to you that way, but Felix had a point when he asked you if you would follow Dima’s orders if he commanded a massacre. Dima would never do such a thing, but you must not lose yourself in the service of your liege.”

Dedue finally raised his head and crossed his arms to stare down at her. “You have misunderstood what I am. I am the sword and shield of His Highness. Weapons do not have a will of their own.”

She sighed and placed a hand on his chest, his heart was beating quickly beneath her palm. “Dedue, you have this, you have a beating heart. You have feelings and thoughts of your own. That makes you a person, not a weapon.” Dedue shook his head and opened his mouth to respond but she held up her other hand. “No, Dedue. I want you to think about what I said. I respect that you always look out for Dima, but I would not have you give your life for his. I would have you live on to fight for him another day.”

Byleth could hear Dimitri’s voice call out from down the pathway that lead to the classrooms. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Dedue.” Dedue stepped to the side and she dropped her hand. “Oh! Professor! You are here as well.” He looked between them and asked, “Did something happen?”

Dedue shook his head and answered, “Nothing to worry yourself over, Your Highness.”

Dimitri nodded slowly, still looking between them. “Alright, then. I’m glad you are here, Professor. You both need to hear this. Dedue is already aware, but there has been an uprising in the Duscur region, in the western part of the Kingdom.”

Her back stiffened as dread coursed through her. Was Rhea sending them to slaughter more people of Duscur? Why hadn’t she been informed? “Please don’t tell me we’ve been sent to quell the uprising…”

Dimitri gave her a sad smile and said, “Well, I have just now received the permission I requested from the church.”

Dedue’s voice was filled with rare excitement as he said, “So we may go?”

Byleth raised her eyebrows. “What are you two planning?”

Dimitri took a few steps closer to her. “The Kingdom army will have plenty of troops to handle to uprising. The remaining Duscur survivors will most likely be annihilated, and I’m afraid that would be the best-case scenario. At its worst it would turn into bloody chaos for both sides. I was hoping you would be willing to deploy our classmates to go and try to convince the Duscur fighters to leave and avoid the loss of more lives.”

“Of course. Dima, will you go and gather your classmates and bring them to the classroom so I can inform them? We can set out this afternoon.” Dimitri gave her a smile and a deep bow before running off. “Dedue, come with me.” 

They walked into the nearby classroom and she shut the doors behind her. “You mentioned that you receive hatred from Felix and Ingrid because of your heritage…”

“You… heard that?”

She nodded and crossed her arms. “I did. Do you have problems like that from anyone else in the class? Sylvain was close to the King and Glenn, one of the knights that died that day. Does he give you any problems?”

Dedue shook his head slowly. “Sylvain does not believe the Tragedy was caused by the people of Duscur. No one else has said anything.”

Her heart swelled in her chest. “Good. I will be speaking with Ingrid and Felix as soon as the briefing is over. I will not tolerate them treating you that way.”

Dedue shook his head vigorously. “That is not necessary, Professor.”

“Oh, but it is, Dedue. I cannot believe Felix spoke to you that way…” She exhaled sharply through her nose and walked up to her desk before sitting on top of it.

The Blue Lions began to file in and take their seats. Felix walked in last, still seething from earlier. She stood and everyone’s attention was on her. “You all have been working hard over the last few weeks as we come closer to the Battle of the Eagle and Lion, I want you to know that your efforts are all appreciated.”

Most of her students grinned or nodded their heads. “I know we have already traveled and taken up other missions this month, but we have received permission for an important task. We will be leaving this afternoon to head to the Duscur region.”

She watched each of her students faces carefully, Ingrid wrinkled her nose and Felix rolled his eyes. Everyone else was giving their undivided attention, expressions filled with interest. “There has been a small uprising by the remnants of the people of Duscur. The Kingdom troops have been sent to quell said uprising, but if we can intervene, I believe we can prevent further loss of life. The Duscur people have suffered enough. I will be arranging for us to take supplies and a battalion of healers will be assigned to Mercedes so we may help as much as possible.”

Ingrid raised a hand, “What do you plan to do, Professor?”

She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “I plan to use non-lethal force and convince them to drop their arms and flee. This mission will be dangerous, they will still be fighting to kill. If anyone has any reservations, they can see me privately.”

She could hear anxious murmurs when she turned to straighten the papers on her desk. “Please go and pack the necessary materials. Meet at the stables in two hours. Ingrid and Felix, I would like to speak with you before you leave.”

She waited for the sounds of shuffling feet to cease before turning to face her two remaining students. Ingrid’s expression was guarded as she fiddled with the hem of her tunic, Felix’s face was full of outright fury. “I know you both lost someone precious to you in the Tragedy. I am very sorry about that, but I want to be very clear. You will not treat your fellow classmate with any disrespect from this day further. Am I understood?”

Ingrid’s lips set in a thin line as she nodded curtly but Felix scoffed. “He’s the boar’s lapdog. He has earned no respect from me.”

She glared at him and said, “You will not be going on this mission. You will be attending lectures with the Golden Deer.” 

Felix’s face paled as he shook his head. “Like hell I won’t! You aren’t leaving me here!”

She turned to Ingrid, “Do you have a problem with going to help the people of Duscur? Do you wish to stay with Felix?” 

Ingrid bowed slightly and looked up at her, “I will follow my orders, Professor.”

Byleth sighed and rubbed a hand down her face. “You are not a knight yet, Ingrid. I am not your liege, I am your teacher. I will not tolerate you treating your classmate with any disrespect, and I will not take you into this mission if you are not set on helping these people. You will stay as well.”

Ingrid nodded slowly and bowed again. “You are both dismissed. I will inform Hanneman that you will be attending his lectures until we return.” Ingrid nodded and slowly walked out of the classroom as Felix stomped up to her.

“You aren’t leaving me here.” He was practically hissing as he glared at her.

“That is exactly what I am doing. I know you lost someone precious to you. I am deeply sorry about that fact, but the way you spoke to Dedue this morning was unacceptable. I will not tolerate it! The people of Duscur, all of them are people. I don’t know how you could possibly treat him that way!”

All of the anger drained out of her and was replaced by grief. “Some days I feel like I don’t even know who you are.” She sighed and slumped back against her desk. Felix turned on his heel and stomped out of the classroom.

She sighed one last time before walking out of the classroom. She needed to find Hanneman and her father’s men, before preparing to leave. They are going to need help.

_It’s going to be a long week._

~Felix~

_“Some days I feel like I don’t even know who you are.”_ Byleth’s voice rang through his head as Felix scoffed and walked out of the classroom. _What is she THINKING?! She can’t just leave me here?!_  
He rounded the corner and saw Ingrid. He ran up and grabbed her arm, turning her around to face him. “You’re just going to let her leave you here? You aren’t even going to say anything?”

Ingrid bowed her head and clasped her hands in front of herself. “She’s right Felix. Dedue is a valuable comrade who has the full trust of His Highness. Dedue has stepped in to help me in our missions. He looks out for me on the battlefield, even when I treat him with disdain.” She shook her head and sighed. “I shouldn’t be going on this mission if I can’t focus on helping. I won’t be useful to His Highness or the Professor.”

“Bullshit.”

She grimaced and pulled her arm out of his grasp. “She’s our professor, Felix. I’m going to listen to her orders.”

“She’s being an idiot!”

She furrowed her brow and tilted her head to the side. “Is she? I can’t imagine how taking the incredibly aggressive Felix Fraldarius into a field with the Duscur people to use non-lethal force could possibly go wrong.” She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “You won’t listen to her orders, and you won’t look out for your classmates. You never do. Now if you’ll excuse me, I could use some more flight training if I’m going to pass my certification before the mock battle.” She bowed slightly with an arm crossed over her chest and left him there.

 _She can’t just… leave me here._ Felix sped through the grounds toward the dorms before stopping outside the boar’s door. He knocked sharply and Dedue opened the door.

“Boar. You need to talk to the Professor.”

The boar turned slowly and walked to stand behind Dedue. “Why? What’s happened, Felix?”

“She’s going to leave me and Ingrid here! You have to talk to her. Make her reconsider!”

Dedue’s eyes widened as Dimitri put his fist to his chin. “Why would she do that?”

Dedue quietly answered, “She may have witnessed a confrontation between myself and Felix. I’m deeply sorry, Your Highness.”

The boar’s eyebrows furrowed as he looked between them. “A confrontation?” Dedue nodded solemnly.

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “Are you going to talk to her or not, Boar?!”

Dimitri put a hand on Dedue’s shoulder. “I trust her judgement. If she says you are to stay here, you will stay.”

“You can’t do this without me, Boar!”

Sylvain’s door opened and he walked up behind Felix. “Alright, let’s calm down.” He placed a hand on Felix’s shoulder but Felix brushed it off.

“This doesn’t concern you, Sylvain.”

Sylvain smirked and crossed his arms behind his head. “Hey! I’m just trying to play peacekeeper here. If you keep screaming at everyone, the Professor is never going to take you on another mission. You are supposed to work with your brothers-in-arms, not attack them, Fe.”

Felix scoffed and glared up at him. “Oh, and you’re completely fine with going to try and preserve the lives of Duscur animals?”

Sylvain’s eyes narrowed in a rare show of anger as he brought his arms back to his sides. “They aren’t animals, Felix. You can’t judge an entire people off of the actions of some. I believe the people of Duscur are innocent, so I am happy to lend my aid.”

Felix glared up at him. “What are you talking about?!”

“Do you really think the people of Duscur had enough strength to attack and slaughter the King and his elite guards? At most I can see a misguided group of people from Duscur conspiring with someone else who had plans to dethrone the late King. Regardless, it doesn’t concern Dedue or the rest of his people.”

The boar whispered from behind Dedue, “…Sylvain…”

“Byleth has made it very clear that she thinks it is wrong to treat Dedue with anything but respect. I watched as she scared some poor monk out of his robes for turning Dedue away when he tried to look for clues before the Rite of Rebirth. I think she is right.”

Felix sneered, “So that’s what this is then? Just another ploy to get into Byleth’s bed? You’re insatiable.”

Sylvain’s eyes narrowed further as he clenched his fists and stepped into Felix’s space. “Shut up, Fe. Go and cool off somewhere else. You’re done here.”

Felix chuckled darkly. “You aren’t even going to deny it. I knew it.”

Sylvain’s jaw clenched. “Do you really think it’s impossible for me to have thoughts that aren’t about sex? I thought we were friends, Fe! You know I can form opinions and think about things rationally. It’s you who’s not thinking right now.”

Felix scoffed and turned his back. “You are all idiots, then.” 

_Fine, I’m better on my own anyway._

  
Byleth and the others left later that day. It was a small group with just the few of their classmates, a battalion of healers and a group of Jeralt’s mercenaries. Felix watched them go with a scowl on his face before spending the rest of the day in the training grounds. He trained until his body and mind gave in to exhaustion.

The next day, Felix had to sit through lectures with Hanneman. It was all information that Byleth had covered with them ages ago so he didn’t pay any attention. He had never realized just how lucky they were to have Byleth as their professor, whether she was his friend or not, her teaching style suited him much better than Hanneman or Manuela’s.

Claude was quick to walk up to him and Ingrid after class. “Not to say we don’t love having you, but what are you guys doing here? Where are Teach and the others?”

“None of your business, idiot.”

Ingrid punched him and groaned. “They are on an auxiliary mission in the Duscur region. We should only be in your class for about a week until they return.”

Felix groaned and threw his head into his crossed arms on the table. _I have to sit through a week of this?! I should be out there fighting, not sitting here idle._

Claude’s voice was incredulous as he asked, “And Teach just left you here? Why would she do that?”

Ingrid’s voice was tense as she said, “There is an uprising in Duscur territory. She plans to go and convince them to flee in order to keep their lives. She had… concerns… about Felix and I keeping a clear head and following orders to use non-lethal force. She ordered us to stay here.”

Felix grumbled into his arms. “Because she’s a damned fool.”

Claude laughed bright and loud and Felix raised his head to look at him. “Just when I thought I couldn’t like her more… Teach really is something special.” He had a huge grin on his face that made Felix’s stomach turn. “Well. Welcome to the Golden Deer house, temporarily of course. Unless you find yourself wanting to stay when the week is done, of course.” He winked.

Ingrid chuckled, “No offense, Claude, but I’m already anxious for our Professor to return. She covered this stuff with us weeks ago.”

Claude chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, I was afraid you were going to say something like that. I’m going to have to come up with something pretty great if we want to have a chance in the Battle of the Eagle and Lion.” He winked and walked to the door. Over his shoulder he called out, “See you around Lions!”

Ingrid stared out the door after him. “We need to keep an eye on him in the days close to the mock battle. I don’t trust him.”

Felix grunted and stood. “Good. You shouldn’t. I’m going to train.”

  
~Sylvain~

Byleth sat behind him on Emery as they flew above the caravan traveling below them. Byleth had insisted on bringing a wagon full of supplies for the Duscur rebels. She also recruited a battalion of healers to assist Mercedes with any healing. Annette had a basic heal spell, but after the horror of their experience with Miklan she assigned the healing battalion to Mercedes for all of their missions. Due to their small group she also brought along some of Jeralt’s mercenaries.

Sylvain was still angry about his confrontation with Felix, and Byleth was tense behind him. She had asked to fly with him because she wanted time to think. He could only imagine what Felix had said in front of her to warrant leaving him behind. He wanted to ask her about it, but it was too loud up here with the wind in their ears.

After several hours of travel, they set up camp for the night. Spirits were pretty high with the mercenaries there telling stories about Byleth and Jeralt. Some of them recognized him, he could tell, but they didn’t say anything. The class was in awe as they told stories around the campfire. They had brought along plenty of drink for all of them, but Byleth was adamant that none of the students have any while they were on a mission. The mercenaries seemed pleasantly surprised whenever she would smile or laugh, it made Sylvain wonder what it was like to travel with her when she was growing up. Was she really as scary as she would have them believe? Her father’s men and women had nothing but respect for her, so it couldn’t have been that bad.

Finally, everyone started to trickle into their tents for the night and Sylvain found her sitting alone in front of the fire. “Are you alright?”

When he sat down beside her, she leaned herself against him. He was starting to think she enjoyed the touch as much as he did. She probably didn’t have it much growing up, Jeralt didn’t seem like the type.

She whispered, “Sometimes I don’t know who Felix is anymore… and…” She shook her head and didn’t continue.

“I know what you mean. He used to be so open and loving… now he’s more and more like Glenn every day.”

“He showed me his portrait when we stayed in Fraldarius.” She stared into the fire with a frown.

“Really? That’s… unlike Felix.”

She hummed in acknowledgement before saying, “He told me when he first met me, he didn’t want Glenn to meet me.”

He chuckled and looped an arm around her shoulders. “He probably just wanted to keep you to himself.”

She chuckled softly and shook her head. “That’s the exact reason he gave.”

“Glenn would have loved you. He and Fe are alike in that they were both obsessed with training. Glenn would have pestered you about technique and sparring as much as Fe does.”

She turned to look up at him. “Will you tell me more about him? About Glenn?”

Sylvain sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. “He was a good man, though he was stern and sarcastic most of the time. I always looked up to him, even though he wasn’t much older than I was. He was always so much more mature, talking about his duties and responsibilities while I played with Dimitri, Ingrid, and Felix.” He chuckled sadly and Byleth put a hand on his arm. “Felix was always trying to compete with him, always trying to be as good as his big brother. But… they were close. They loved each other a lot.”

“He and Ingrid were arranged to be married when Ingrid was still really young. Ingrid was always infatuated with him. I doubt he would have ever said anything, but I think he struggled with it. But he was all about duty, so he never complained. He was always kind and respectful towards her. He even convinced his father to buy Ingrid a horse for her ninth birthday. Her face lit up as soon as she saw it.” He smiled fondly at the memory. 

“After the Tragedy, she wouldn’t even leave her room to take care of it. It was… hard… to see her like that. And Fe… Fe just shut everybody out.”

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. She whispered, “And you?”

He looked down at her and smiled sadly, “I miss him. I’m sad he’s gone, and I’m sad that things have changed so much since then. Sometimes I wonder if any of us are even friends anymore… we’re all so different from when we were kids.”

She looked away from him, back toward the fire. “Maybe that’s how it is with Felix and I. Maybe we are just too different to be friends like we were before.” He tried to deny it but she kept talking. “Did you know he didn’t even tell me about Glenn when I got here? I asked Ingrid how he was doing, and she had to tell me. He didn’t even tell Lord Rodrigue I was your teacher. Some days it feels like all he wants is to be stronger, like he doesn’t care about anything else…” She sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder. “Sometimes I miss the Felix I used to know.”

He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are so many supports referenced in this chapter it's almost laughable. 
> 
> Felix and Dedue's C support makes my blood boil for SO MANY REASONS.
> 
> We are going to address Duscur. It's going to come up later. I have plans.
> 
> Sylvain in a supportive roll is something that has developed that I wasn't completely expecting when I started this fic. I normally am more partial to Felix, but he's really just an asshole pre-timeskip. He just is. Sylvain isn't done being a dumbass, but it's easy to think that going through everything with Miklan would change him pretty quick, and it does.


	38. Chapter 38

~Byleth~

The Kingdom’s vanguard had not yet moved against the Duscur warriors when they arrived in the Duscur region. The terrain was rocky and uneven, forcing the Kingdom soldiers to plan out their approach with caution. Byleth wanted to use it to their advantage. If they could get to the Duscur warriors before the Kingdom army found a way through the terrain, they might be able to avoid further bloodshed.

They left some of Jeralt’s mercenaries and some of the healing battalion with the wagon of supplies on the other side of a hill separating them from the Duscur warriors. She flew up on Emery to scout out how many there were. There were only about fifty of them, their weapons were simple steel and most of them lacked proper armor. The Kingdom army vanguard was far superior, the Duscur warriors wouldn’t stand a chance.

She reported her findings to the group and their faces were grim. She was proud of her lions for being ready to help, even with the prejudices of their country. “Sylvain, I want you in the air, stay out of range of the archers, but try to keep me updated on the status of the Kingdom vanguard. I need to know where they are at all times so we can save as many of the Duscur warriors as possible.” He nodded and ran to Emery, who crooned at his touch.

“Dima, I’ve already spoken with my father’s men. They are going to head around with you to cut off the Duscur warriors before they can reach the Kingdom’s army. You are going to be a high priority target. You cannot put yourself in unnecessary danger, and that’s an order.” Dimitri grimaced but nodded.

Dedue stepped forward, “I would like to stay with His Highness.”

“I need you with me and the others, Dedue. You and I are going to cut straight through to the general. I think it would help persuade them that we mean no harm if you are with us. Am I wrong?” Dedue frowned and shook his head. “If we can get him to force a retreat it will save as many lives as possible. That’s what I’m aiming for. If Dimitri cannot rout the other side in time, the Kingdom army will not show mercy. Trust that my father’s men will keep him safe.”

Dedue nodded and bowed, “I trust your judgement, Professor.”

“Now remember, non-lethal force. Mercedes and Flayn, stay with the battalion, just in case. Don't hesitate to defend yourselves.”

Dimitri and half of her father’s men took off on horseback as they ran down the hill. The Duscur warriors noticed their advancement from behind and their ranks dissolved into chaos. She whipped out her sword and struck the ground in front of them. “Leave if you wish to keep your lives! The Kingdom Army is coming, they will show no mercy!” The warriors looked to each other before eventually advancing, weapons raised. Dedue repeated her words, in what she could only assume was a language of Duscur, but they paid him no mind.

Ashe was shooting at shoulders and thighs, Annette was dampening her wind magic, and Byleth was launching fire spells at their feet to try and get them to flee. Dedue was repeating their warning over and over as the warriors looked at him in confusion. Her father’s men were following her orders for non-lethal force. The Duscur warriors didn’t have the numbers to stand against even them.  
The battalion of white magic mages was going through the battlefield with Mercedes and Flayn, helping those that were too wounded to flee.

Sylvain shouted from above, “The Kingdom vanguard has started advancing!”

She glanced up and saw them crest the hill. “How far away is the general?” 

Sylvain flew higher before shouting, “He’s targeting His Highness! He’s heading straight for him!” 

She sprinted to Dedue. “We have to go.” She launched her sword as a whip and left huge imprints in the earth in front of them. The warriors started to panic as she yelled, “RUN!” A lot of them started to help their fallen comrades, though a few continued to charge them.

She sprinted through the chaos in the direction of Dimitri on his horse. The general had the nicest set of armor among the Duscur warriors, and his weapon was silver and finer in craftsmanship, making him easy to spot even from the ground. Dedue yelled out in his language and the man turned in surprise. She noticed he was huge as she got closer, probably a head taller than even Dedue. He wore War Master style armor, though his had spikes that angled out from the shoulders and helmet. She wondered whether it was decorative or a symbol of leadership.

The man charged toward them with a yell and she whipped her sword out to hit the ground before him. He yelled in surprise before turning to Dedue. “You… are a man of Duscur. How can you make friends with our hated foes? Is it possible that you have lost your Duscur spirit?”

Dedue’s face was calm as he replied, “Are you finished?”

The general let out an angry yell and took steps toward Dedue with his weapon raised, but she stepped between them with the Sword of the Creator ready.

“You will not touch him.” It came out as a growl and the man laughed at her.

“I do not fear you, even if you have a sword like fire.”

She sneered and raised her hand, casting a thunder spell to the man’s right. The leader yelped in surprise and jumped to the left. She charged him with her sword raised. He deflected it once, but she hit his torso with the hilt of her blade before knocking him down with a front kick. She towered over him and held the Sword of the Creator to his throat. 

“Are you ready to talk about how you and your people can leave here alive, now?”

The general stared at her in wonder, before glancing at Dedue just behind her. “Why save us?”

Dedue stepped forward and said, “I will not abide the needless death of my own people.”

“You must know that as long as there is breath in me, I will fight.”

She shook her head and moved her sword away to allow him to stand. “Then fight, you will only be defeated. If you do not pose a threat to my students, I will not be the one to end your life.”

He stood slowly and crossed his arms. “You are both idealistic fools, especially you man of Duscur.” He turned to her and his voice became angrier as he yelled, “We will not relent. Not until we have taken back our homeland you monsters stole from us!”

Dedue shook his head firmly. “I share the same sentiment.”

The leader stared at him for a moment before asking, “You? Who sold his soul for Faerghus?”

Dedue nodded and crossed his arms. “His Highness has promised the people of Duscur a home. His will be a kingdom that is proud to harbor the blood of both Faerghus and Duscur.”

The general scoffed and shook his head, “That is impossible. Don’t be naïve.”

“Believe what you will, but Faerghus will change under his reign. That is my firm belief.”

Dimitri rode toward them on his horse and dismounted to stand beside Dedue. “The Kingdom army has retreated to the fortress. There should be no further danger.”

“Prince of Faerghus! You monster!”

Dimitri stepped toward the Duscur leader but she put an arm out to bar him. “Can you still run? Then I suggest you do so now. Your people are waiting for you on the other side. Remain hidden from the Kingdom army.”

Dedue bowed slightly and said, “May our paths cross again.”

The general looked between the three of them before turning his back. “I certainly hope not. But remember this one thing. The people of Duscur never forget their grudges. Nor do they fail to honor a favor.”

She called to his back, “We’ve left supplies over the hill to the east. It’s only food and basic medical supplies, but I hope it helps you.” She pointed toward their wagon. The leader nodded and walked away.

Dedue hummed behind her and she turned to face him. “What do you think he meant by that, Dedue?”

Dedue looked deep in thought. “Faerghus is not forgiven, but maybe there is hope for the future.” A small smile crossed his face as he looked between her and Dima. “Thank you, Your Highness, for accommodating my selfish request.”

Dimitri shook his head and chuckled. “Think nothing of it. This is something I wished for, as well. If you must give thanks, thank the Professor for leading the charge.”

Dedue bowed and she chuckled lightly. “Enough of that, Dedue. Let’s go and meet up with the others. We have a long journey home.” She heard wing beats above her and looked up to see Sylvain circling above them. She ran a few feet away from Dimitri and Dedue and whistled for Emery, who flew down to her with a mighty roar.

Sylvain laughed as they landed and she jumped up behind him. “Who do you think she would obey more? You or me?” 

Byleth leaned down to pat Emery’s hind leg and Emery crooned in delight. “I don’t think you want to know the answer to that.” Sylvain’s laughter filled the sky as they soared upward. 

  
When they finally returned to the monastery, she and Sylvain flew straight to aviary. Claude was there, taking care of one of the other wyverns. “Hey Teach! How’d the mission go?”

She dismounted and told Sylvain, “You can go and get cleaned up, I’ll make sure Emery is taken care of.” Sylvain looked between her and Claude before nodding and carrying his travel sack away. She began to take off Emery’s saddle and called to Claude, “It was a success. We were able to force a retreat, minimal casualties and no major injuries for the students.” 

Claude walked up and watched as she fussed over Emery, making sure she was comfortable and giving her extra food after the long journey. “I didn’t know you had a wyvern, Teach.” He was grinning at her and she smiled back before handing him some food he could feed Emery.

“I don’t really. Sylvain uses Emery while fighting, I just steal her away to fly around every once and a while. It’s nice to get away from it all sometimes. Being up there gives me time to think.”

Claude whistled before letting out a chuckle. “Teach, I think you’re the girl of my dreams.” He winked in his exaggerated way and she laughed.

She walked up and tugged on his braid. “What makes you say that?”

He swatted her hand away with a chuckle and walked to Emery’s other side to rub under her chin. “You just saved some of the last people of Duscur and you like to fly as much as I do. Not to mention… ya know… I have eyes.” He winked and she chuckled.

“Well only part of that is me. It was really important to Dimitri and Dedue that we went on this mission. Dimitri went through the trouble of getting us permission.”

Claude looked up in interest. “I find that interesting. You’d think he held stronger resentment toward those of Duscur. Though he isn’t cruel to Dedue, so I guess I should have expected it.”

She tilted her head to her fist. “He’s told me he believes they are innocent. I think he really hopes for a day when Duscur and Faerghus can live in peace.”

Claude let out an exaggerated sigh. “His Princeliness is full of surprises.”

She smirked as Emery nuzzled into her torso for attention. “He’ll be a good King. He has a good heart, and he wants good things for his people.”

Claude walked back toward her with a playful smirk, “But will he be good enough to defeat us in the Battle of the Eagle and Lion.”

She tugged on his braid again and said, “Oh. We’re going to annihilate you.”

Claude tapped his temple. “Don’t count me out just yet, they don’t call me the no good schemer for nothing!”

She frowned slightly and tipped her head. “Do people really call you that?”

Claude chuckled and crossed his arms behind his head. “I’m pretty sure your good pal Felix just called me that an hour ago.” Her face must have shown her displeasure because he dropped his arms and put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s alright, I’m used to it.”

She groaned and put her head down on Emery’s. “Why do people say that? It’s not okay that people treat you poorly. I won’t stand for it. Felix is going to have stable duty for the rest of the year if he keeps treating people like that.”

Claude chuckled and wiped a fake tear from his eye. “Oh Teach, you sure know how to make a guy feel special.”

She swatted at his arm and he jumped away with a laugh. “Want to get dinner with me, Teach?”

She picked up her packs and gave Emery one last pat, “I need a long bath first. Can you wait an hour?”

Claude grinned and gave an exaggerated bow as she walked past him through the door. “For you, Teach? I’d wait two!”

~Felix~

He and Ingrid were sparring when the boar and his lapdog walked in to train. “Good evening, Felix and Ingrid! How have things been at the monastery?”

Ingrid bowed and said, “Everything was fine, Your Highness. Felix and I have spent most of our time training for the mock battle. How was the mission?” 

“It went well. We were able to diffuse the situation with minimal casualties. The Professor led the charge with grace and skill.”

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “I’m leaving.” He walked over to drop off his training sword and grabbed his things before he hurried out of the training hall.

It had been a long week. Being with the Golden Deer was awful, they were rowdy and way too friendly for his tastes. He had missed Byleth and Sylvain. _Except both of them are mad at you and you are mad at both of them._ He shook his head and headed toward the bath house. After taking off his training clothes he walked in. Sylvain was soaking in the big bathing pool, his red hair was damp and tousled as he leaned back against the edge with his eyes closed.

Felix hung up his towel and stepped in with a sigh. The warm water soothed his strained muscles. Sylvain opened one eye at the sound before closing it again. “Sore?”

Felix grunted and sat down across from him. “Always.” Sylvain chuckled and sat a little further into the water. “How did it go?”

Sylvain opened his eyes and raised his head. “Do you actually want to know?” Felix shrugged and crossed his arms. “It went well. By took out the general and we got the rest of the forces to retreat. It was a small group, only about fifty of them. She seemed happy with the results.”

“Good.”

Sylvain stared at him for a while before saying, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Felix scoffed. “Talk about what?”

Sylvain raised an eyebrow and chuckled slightly. “What you did to piss her off this time.”

Felix groaned, and tilted his head back to wet his hair. “She heard me fighting with Dedue. I didn’t know she was there.”

Sylvain narrowed his eyes slightly and smirked. “So… you only behave when By is around, then?”

Felix scoffed and turned around to grab his soap, fighting off a blush. “Stop spitting out nonsense, Sylvain.”

Sylvain laughed and it echoed through the room. He sighed and said, “She’s hurt, ya know. She told me she feels like she doesn’t know you anymore.” 

Felix turned to glare at him. “It’s none of your business.”

The red head stared at him for a long time and Felix had a hard time meeting his golden brown gaze. “You are both my friends. I care for both of you, so I'd like to think it is.”

Felix sneered, “Oh so you are friends now? Does that mean you’re going to stop trying to sleep with her?”

Sylvain rolled his eyes and stood to exit the bath. “I know I don’t have a chance with her.” His voice sounded weirdly defeated and something twisted in Felix's stomach. Sylvain wrapped a towel around himself and walked toward the changing room. “If you were a bit nicer, you might. Who knows?” He winked and left the room before Felix could reply. Not that he necessarily would have, he was too busy blushing like an idiot, trying and failing to not think about the night of Byleth’s birthday before Ashe had interrupted.

After he was done with his bath, he dropped his bath supplies in his room and headed to the dining hall. It was getting late and they were almost done serving food. He walked in and immediately heard Byleth’s laugh ringing through the dining hall. He looked around until he spotted her. Claude’s arm was draped around her shoulders and Hilda and Marianne were sitting across from them.

Hilda was telling a story about her brother Holst and Byleth was staring with her eyes wide, a small smile on her lips. Claude noticed him staring and winked at him, he scowled and turned away. He grabbed a tray and took it back to his room. 

_I didn’t feel like being around people, anyway._


	39. Chapter 39

~Sylvain~

It was finally the day of the Battle of the Eagle and Lion. He was circling the long caravan with the other student fliers as they traveled the last leg of the journey to Gronder Field. Byleth had ridden her own horse for the journey so she could talk strategy with Dimitri while they rode. He hadn’t realized how much he enjoyed the warmth of her behind him on their last mission. As he flew, he could just barely make out her blue hair from Emery’s saddle.

They finally arrived at the area set aside for the Blue Lion’s tent. Sylvain landed and unloaded his things to put it in the giant tent the boys would be using. The girls had a separate one a few feet away and he stole glances over at Byleth while she unloaded her things.

They finally all circled up and everyone was buzzing with excitement. It had been a long six weeks with multiple missions and Byleth working them to the bone, but everyone really wanted to win.  
“So, this is to be our battlefield… Gronder Field. Are you feeling confident, Professor?” His Highness was all polite smiles and waves as people bustled around them.

Byleth smirked and put a hand on her hip. “Very.”

“Excellent! That’s most reassuring. We can win. I’m sure of it. After all, it’s not as though we’ve spent the last half-year sitting idle. And I’m feeling stronger this moon. As though I could conquer a thousand opponents all on my own.” Sylvain rolled his eyes and he heard Felix scoff beside him.

Byleth smirked and in a playful tone said, “So we should just leave it to you, then? I can sit out with Manuela and Hanneman if you’d like?”

Dimitri chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. “No, I just mean… you can depend on me. I hope you know that.” They locked eyes and Byleth smiled her big smile until Dimitri looked away blushing. “Well, it’s about time for the battle to begin. Everyone, brace yourselves.”

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “All I’m worried about is finding someone worthy to cross swords with.”

Mercedes walked over and took one of Byleth’s hands. “We’ve prepared a great deal. We should be fine, right?” 

Annette shook her head and laughed. “You’re always so carefree, Mercie! Don’t forget we need to try our hardest out there so we can win!”

Ashe pumped his fist in the air. “This is our chance to show how hard we’ve been working. Let’s do our best so everyone knows how great our Professor is!” Byleth chuckled and shook her head.

“If I emerge victorious in the lauded Battle of the Eagle and Lion, the beauties of the monastery are sure to take notice. I’ll have to go into hiding!” Byleth frowned slightly but then smiled and nodded her head to him.

Ingrid groaned and smacked his arm, making him wince. “Ugh, is that all you think about? Actually, so long as you try your hardest, frame it however you like.”

Flayn was bouncing on the balls of her feet. “I shall give it my all!”

Dimitri stepped forward. “We’re counting on your guidance, Professor.” He reached out and intertwined his fingers with hers and raised their hands in the air. “Let’s show the world what the Blue Lions are made of!” The class cheered as everyone swarmed Byleth before heading to their starting position.

They were victorious. The cheers from the spectator’s section were loud as the Archbishop smiled down on them from the top of the hill. Dimitri dismounted and charged Byleth before picking her up and twirling her around in his arms. Sylvain landed beside them as something twisted and ugly reared in his chest. She laughed her bright laugh and wrapped her arms around his neck, tilting her head back. She was so… happy. _That should make me happy, right? My friend is happy, so I'm happy._

Claude and Edelgard both looked rough as they walked over. Claude cleared his throat loudly and said, “I don’t suppose I could get one of those as a consolation prize?” Dimitri glared at him over her shoulder, but she chuckled and once Dimitri put her down, ran over to hug Claude. Claude winked at a red Dimitri over her shoulder. “Well done, Your Princeliness. I’m certainly not in any hurry to get on your bad side.”

Edelgard sighed and pushed her hair back over her shoulder. “I assumed you would attack us head-on. I clearly need to rethink my opinion of you. Well done, Dimitri.”

Dimitri was smug as Byleth walked over and stood beside him. “You both deserve equal praise for a battle well fought. All three houses did extremely well. Don’t you agree, Professor?”

Byleth smirked and put a hand on her hip. “They were nothing, Dima.”

Claude and Dimitri laughed, but Edelgard grimaced and bowed her head. “It only seemed that way because of the caliber of your command, Professor. Even now, we must not allow ourselves to become complacent.”

Claude chuckled and winked at Byleth. “In any case, I hope the day never comes when we have to put this experience to use.”

Edelgard smirked. “I wouldn’t mind. I’ll accept a challenge from either of you at any time. Heh, I’m kidding, of course!”

Dimitri shook his head and his face became serious. “That is nothing to joke about. The true Battle of the Eagle and Lion is best left in the past. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they eventually changed the name of this mock battle.”

Byleth nodded and walked over to put an arm around a blushing Edelgard. “Let’s do our best to get along.” 

Claude chuckled. “How admirable, Teach! On that note, I have a proposition. When we get back to Garreg Mach, let’s have a grand feast to break down the walls between our respective houses. And by a “grand” feast, I mean a fairly regular feast in the dining hall.”

Edelgard shook her head and wrapped an arm around Byleth’s waist with a coy smile. “You really value that kind of thing, don’t you? Well, I suppose no harm can come from it. Count me in.”

Dimitri glanced down at the arm around Byleth’s waist before looking at Byleth. “I have no objections either. And you, Professor?”

Byleth gave a soft smile and tilted her head. “If there’s food, I’m in. We’ll celebrate our victory.” She winked at Dimitri and he blushed.

“You look so… happy. I love seeing you like this.” Byleth walked toward him with a smile and stood at his side. “I suppose that look on your face is just another boon of this glorious day. Perhaps the best one of all.” 

Claude laughed loudly. “Wow, Your Princeliness! How very subtle of you.” He winked as Dimitri blushed, but Byleth just swatted at Claude’s arm playfully.

Emery was getting fed up with the lack of attention and crooned softly beside him. He chuckled and reached over to rub under her chin, one of her favorite spots. “You want to talk to her too, do ya?” Emery purred and nuzzled into his torso. “That’s a good girl.”

“If you wanted to talk to me, you should have just walked over.” Emery crooned again and nuzzled into Byleth who had somehow materialized beside him making him yelp in surprise.

“Geez! What have I said about doing that?” Byleth smirked and turned her attention to Emery, cooing at her as she rubbed under her chin. Sylvain smiled down at them and crossed his arms behind his head. “The three future rulers of Fodlan were busy flirting with you, I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

Byleth snorted and shook her head. “I’m a common born mercenary. They have their fun, that’s all.”

Sylvain raised an eyebrow with a smirk. “Did you not see all of the one-upping they were doing? They were totally trying to impress you.”

She cocked her head to the side. “They’ve been doing that since the moment I met them. They were too busy bickering to even ask for help until Jeralt stepped in and made them get to the point.”

Sylvain laughed and scratched Emery’s flank. “You have a fair point. I’ll give you that.” 

They stood in comfortable silence for a while, as people moved around them. They would need to head back to camp for dinner soon. Byleth looked up at him and smiled softly, “Are you ready for all the beauties of the monastery to harass you now? I tried my hardest to pull out a win, just for you.” She looked back down at Emery, cooing softly.

“Yeah! I might have to do less training so I can fit them all into my schedule. You’re okay with that, right?” He winked and chuckled, but she didn’t look up at him.

“You have the wrong Professor for that I’m afraid. No slacking off on my watch.” She glanced up at him under her lashes before turning away. “We should head back to camp. I’ll meet you there.” Before he could say anything, she jogged away.

Emery turned to him and tilted her head in a way that gave him a sneaking suspicion that she was unimpressed. “Traitor.” She made a humming noise in the back of her throat and threw her head back for a roar. “Okay, okay. We’ll go.”

  
~Felix~

  
_How is the Boar even more infuriating than normal?_ The boar had barely left Byleth’s side since they arrived back at the tents they were staying in for the night before making the journey back to the monastery. Everyone was excited and joyful because of their win, talking about the various things that they had done during the mock battle.

“Ashe I can’t believe you managed to take out Lysithea! She’s such a good mage, I would never stand a chance against her.” Annette was clinging to Ashe’s arm as the poor boy blushed. Even his ears were red at the praise.

“O-Oh that’s nonsense Annette. You’re a great mage! You work so hard all the time!” Annette gave a girly giggle and leaned into his side making the freckled boy grin. 

Sylvain nudged Felix with his elbow and motioned toward them with his head and winked. He whispered, “Should we start making bets on when they get together yet? Or do you think it’s already happened?”

Felix crossed his arms and scoffed. “You know I’m not the one to gossip with. Go find someone else.”

Sylvain pouted slightly, but stayed where he was. His eyes traveled among the group as they all ate.

“Professor, I must confess… watching you take out Hubert was immensely satisfying.” Dimitri had a smug grin and a faraway look in his eye as Byleth chuckled warmly. Sylvain went rigid beside him, and Felix watched in interest. 

Ingrid crossed her arms and furrowed her eyebrows, “He’s… interesting… that one. He always looks like he’s plotting his next murder or something.”

Sylvain choked on whatever bite of food he had been chewing on and Byleth looked to him in concern. Felix reached out and pounded on his back until he stopped coughing and Sylvain smiled weakly in gratitude. Annette softly said, “He is kinda creepy, isn’t he?”

Mercedes giggled softly, “Oh Annie, I’m sure if we got to know him, he wouldn’t be so bad.”

Sylvain’s voice was unusually stern as he said, “No. I think he’d be worse.” Felix raised an eyebrow in his direction but Sylvain was staring at his plate of food. _What is that about?_

Byleth hummed slightly and tilted her head. “It was enlightening to see the different fighting styles out there today.” She looked around at each of them and asked, “Was there anyone out there today that you thought might be a good addition to the Blue Lions?”

The boar stiffened but kept a smile on his face as thoughtful expressions spread on all of their faces. Ashe chuckled nervously and said, “Well… I know Caspar has been practically begging to join our class. I think you would be able to teach him more than Manuela.”

Flayn clapped her hands and giggled. “Yes! And if he joined our house, I’m sure Linhardt would join him. They are very good friends, and Linhardt is a great mage.”

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “When he isn’t sleeping and avoiding work. He’s lazy.”

Byleth’s eyes narrowed as she stared him down. “Linhardt may not work as hard as everyone else, but he has very little interest in fighting. He is brilliant in other ways.” She turned to Ashe and smiled softly. “I think I’ll talk to both of them when we get back to the monastery. I think they would be great additions to our house. Anyone else?”

Annette perked up, “I would love to work with Lysithea more. She has great skill in reason magic, and we study together a lot. She’s really smart.”

Byleth hummed and tilted her head. “She hasn’t spoken much to me. I’ll offer, but she might not be as interested as Caspar.”

Ashe chuckled and shook her head. “No one is as interested in anything as Caspar.” 

Byleth smirked and nodded. “I’ve been thinking of inviting Cyril to attend more of our weapons training. I don’t think he has much interest in tactics or class work, but he might benefit from sparring with you guys. Would you guys be alright with that?”

Flayn nodded enthusiastically. “My brother is very fond of him. He works very hard, almost as hard as you, Professor!”

“If she has more students, she’s only going to have more work.” Felix glowered at Flayn and the younger girl shrank back.

“Enough, Felix.” Byleth sighed heavily and ran a hand through her hair. “I guess talking about inviting people to join us wouldn’t be your specialty.”

Sylvain snickered and Ingrid put a hand over her mouth. He turned to glare at her. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

She raised an eyebrow and said, “You are Mr. Lone Wolf Fraldarius. I shouldn’t expect you to notice anything beyond your blade.”

Everyone went still as they all watched Byleth and Felix stare at each other. Byleth’s expression was neutral in a way that let him know she was hiding how she actually felt. It made him even more angry as he continued to glare at her. “I’ve had enough of this.” He sent her one more pointed glare and stomped toward the boy’s tent. Something sank in his stomach as he lifted the flap and paced the inside of the tent. _“I shouldn’t expect you to notice anything beyond your blade.”_ He growled in frustration and sat down on his bedroll.

Byleth had been distant ever since she had overheard his argument with the boar’s lapdog. Any time he tried to be closer to her, she turned the other direction. Sylvain’s words from the bath house haunted him. _“Ya know, she’s hurt. She told me she feels like she doesn’t even know you anymore.”_

Sylvain lifted the flap and walked over slowly and flopped down on his bedroll beside Felix’s. “You okay?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Felix glared at him and clenched his fists.

“I think Byleth was just kidding.” Sylvain supplied unhelpfully in a hopeful voice.

“I don’t care what she thinks. As long as I’m getting stronger, I don’t care what anyone thinks.”

Sylvain sighed and laid back on his bedroll. “So, she was right then. Well… that’s disappointing.” He rolled over and faced the opposite side of the tent. His voice registered with genuine hurt, even as he tried to keep his tone playful.

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “Don’t pout.”

Sylvain whispered into the dark, “Do you think things would have been different if she had taken up your father’s offer to be your personal knight?”

Felix raised an eyebrow and stared at his back. “Nothing would have changed. What are you talking about?”

Sylvain sat up slowly and chuckled while he pointed outside of the tent. “Half of the reason you’ve messed that up is because you won’t just talk to her. Imagine if she had been there the whole time! Maybe you wouldn’t be so shut off from everybody. Maybe you’d be able to talk to people without a scowl plastered to your face.”

Felix glared and clenched his fists. “Shut up, asshole.”

Sylvain put his hands up in mock surrender. “Okay… okay. But still, can you imagine?”

Ashe walked in right as Sylvain said it. “Imagine what?”

A shit eating grin spread across Sylvain’s face. “When we were young, Lord Rodrigue offered Byleth a job as Felix’s personal knight. I was just asking Felix to imagine what it would be like if she had taken the offer.”

Ashe’s eyes went wide and he turned to stare at Felix. “I never knew that!”

Felix glared at Sylvain and spat out, “Your dad offered too, idiot. What if she had taken that job?”

Ashe’s eyebrows flew to his hairline. “Wait… what did she do that warranted two of the most powerful Lords in the Kingdom offering her a job as a personal knight to their heirs?”

Both he and Sylvain’s faces fell as they looked at each other. Sylvain sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Well… I guess it doesn’t really matter if I talk about it now, right?” Felix shrugged and looked away. He was busy ruminating on everything that Sylvain had said.

“When we were young, Miklan…” Sylvain paused and took a deep breath “… well he threw me in a well on our property, and left me to die in the cold of the Lone Moon winter in Gautier.” Ashe gasped and his eyes went wide. “My dad sent out a search party to find me. Byleth’s father and his mercenaries happened to be coming to work for us and she was with them. She and Felix found me.”

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “She’s the one who gave that asshole that ugly scar across his face. She did it defending us when he attacked us for trying to save Sylvain.”

Ashe looked between them with his eyes wide. “Wow… that…”

Sylvain chuckled and patted him on the back. “That’s not even the best part. My dad had her bound and thrown in a cell because Miklan told him that she was the one who threw me in. He tried to make it look like he was trying to save me and Byleth attacked him for it. With it being his word against hers, my father sided with Miklan.” Ashe paled slightly, probably realizing what that meant. The Margrave had been ready to execute her. Felix’s jaw clenched at the memory.

“The next morning when I told my dad what actually happened, my brother lunged out and choked me. He tried to kill me again… right there… in front of everybody.” He chuckled darkly and Ashe put a hand on his arm with concern written all over his face. “Anyway… while she was still tied up, she somehow got her binds around his throat and took him down to the ground.” 

Ashe stared at him. “She what?”

Felix chuckled and Ashe turned toward him. “I’ll never forget that day. She hopped out of the chair and threw her arms around his neck and took him down in one fluid motion. She threatened him, told him that if he ever touched Sylvain again, she would kill him. It was one of the best days of my life.”

Sylvain’s head whipped over to stare at him wide eyed. Then they narrowed and he smirked. “Glad to know one of the worst days of my life if one of best days of yours.”

Felix scoffed and leaned over to punch his arm. “You know that’s not what I meant, idiot. I meant that it was the day that Miklan finally stopped hurting you. It was a good day.”

Ashe gave them both a big goofy grin and shook his head. “Wow… that… that’s so crazy. I guess it makes sense that they would offer her knighthood after that.” He cocked his head to the side and looked out toward Byleth, talking to the boar by the fire. “But why didn’t she take it? I mean… it would have been a great opportunity for her.”

Sylvain chuckled and placed an arm around Ashe’s shoulders. “That’s what I asked. And you know what she said?” Ashe shook his head. “She said that the prestige and the money didn’t mean anything to her. She just liked being a mercenary with her dad.” Sylvain laughed but a frown crossed Felix’s face.

Felix raised a hand to his chin and his eyebrows furrowed as he stared at the ground in front of him in thought. “She told me she would miss her father too much if she took the job. I guess it’s kind of ironic that now that we get to have her around again, she has to be away from her father.”

Ashe frowned and looked out at her, as well. “Do you think she misses being a mercenary? Being a professor… well it’s way different from what she’s used to… maybe she wishes she could leave.”

Felix frowned and laid back on his bedroll. _She did say she wished she had run away when she had the chance. Will she leave after the year is done? Jeralt probably won’t leave his position… Would she take the mercenaries with her and go back to traveling? Will I ever see her again?_

An unhelpful voice in the back of his head whispered, _“Not if you keep being an asshole.”_

Sylvain sighed and stretched his arms above his head. “I don’t know the answer to that. I do know that the last six months would not have been the same without her, though. I’m glad she’s here, and I hope she’s glad to be here.”

Ashe grinned and turned back toward him. “You’re right. I think I’m going to go back out and talk to her. See ya!” He waved and walked out of the tent.

Felix turned onto his side and looked at Sylvain. He had a melancholy look on his face as he stared down at his lap. “What’s wrong with you?”

Sylvain’s mask slipped back on and he crossed his arms behind his head. “Nothing, Fe!”

Felix groaned and shook his head. “I told you, you don’t have to do that.”

Sylvain stared at him for a while before dropping his arms. His normal fake smile slipped into a sad one. “I was just wondering what was going to happen after this year. I meant what I said in my room that night. I really don’t want to never see you two again. I know you like to act like you don’t care…”

Felix turned away and whispered, “I do care.”

Sylvain put a hand on his shoulder and turned him back around so he had to meet his eyes. “I know you do, Fe.” Sylvain reached out slowly and moved some hair out of his face. He whispered, “Was it really one of the best days of your life?”

Felix averted his eyes, but didn’t move away. “I always hated that he was hurting you. I hated that I couldn’t do anything.” He paused and he could feel Sylvain’s stare. “Why do you think I liked Byleth so much? She finally did the thing I had wanted to do for years. She made him hurt for hurting you.”

“Fe…” Sylvain’s voice was soft and full of warmth that spread through Felix. “I… you never said anything.”

“You always asked me not to. I knew you were scared of him. I didn’t want to talk about it and make you upset.” Felix turned away and Sylvain let him, but Sylvain didn’t move away. “We were just kids then. None of it matters now.”

They sat in the quiet of the tent as their classmates laughed and talked outside. Eventually Sylvain moved away and laid down in his bedroll. Felix was glad he didn’t try to talk about it anymore. Soon he drifted into sleep.


	40. Chapter 40

~Byleth~

The “grand feast” Claude had suggested was actually a lot more fun than Byleth thought it would be. All three houses were mingling really well.

She had an eating competition with Ingrid, Raphael, Claude, and Caspar, much to the horror of Lorenz and Linhardt. Everyone else cheered as Raphael was able to finish first. She was a close second, but losing sucked. Raphael patted her on the back with his jolly laugh and said, “It’s alright, Professor. I’ve just got a bigger mouth.” She grinned as everyone laughed at them. Claude claimed he had eaten too much and laid down on top of the table in front of her and pretended to sleep as she looked around.

Lysithea, Annette, Mercedes, and the normally reclusive Bernadetta had sweets that Mercedes had prepared earlier that day and were talking quietly while sitting at one of the corner tables. Ingrid, Ashe, Ignatz were talking about books and art about legendary knights while Raphael pumped his fists and talked about how strong they must have been. Hilda and Marianne were hanging out with Petra and Dorothea while Hilda chattered away. Marianne had a rare small smile and it made Byleth grin. 

Lorenz and Ferdinand were the least surprising duo as they daintily sipped tea at one of the tables. She chuckled quietly and whispered in her best Lorenz impression, “Who is the noblest of nobles? I, Lorenz Hellman Gloucester or Ferdinand von Aegir? Let’s have a tea party and find out.” The side of Claude’s mouth twitched upward as a heavy breath left his nose. _Well he’s still awake._ Dimitri and Edelgard circled and mingled with all of the different groups, both had their proper leader smiles on which disappointed Byleth a little. They could use a chance to relax as well. Their retainers stuck to opposite sides of the room, each watching their liege with a careful eye. 

Linhardt walked over and laid down on the bench beside her. “Is this where we are napping, Professor?” He stretched his arms above his head and yawned before resting his head near her leg.   
She hummed and whispered, “I wanted to ask you something, and then I’ll let you nap.”

He opened one eye just a crack and said, “I’m listening.”

“Would you like to join my class? I’m going to ask Caspar as well.” Claude’s eyebrow twitched ever so slightly and Linhardt hummed in thought. 

“Hmmmm… will you let me take naps?” He moved his head ever so slightly so it rested against the side of her thigh.

“I’ll think of something to help you get the work in while you are awake.” She reached out and combed a stray bang out of his face and the corner of his lip twitched up.

He sat up slowly and his eyes went wide. “Will you let me study your Crest? Will you let me hold the Sword of the Creator?”

She snickered, trying to cover her mouth with her hand before the sound escaped. “I’m sure we could work out a system if you do your classwork?” She raised an eyebrow and grinned.

“Deal.” Linhardt smiled and yawned again before placing his head on her lap. “Now, quiet. I’m trying to nap, Professor.”

She looked around the room again, searching for Felix and Sylvain. Sylvain had migrated toward the table where Hilda, Marianne, Petra, and Dorothea were sitting. His usual charming smile was plastered to his face as Hilda giggled playfully and smacked his arm. _Well that’s… unsurprising._ He noticed her looking and winked at her. She nodded her head and looked away quickly.

She eventually spotted Felix and Caspar over near the door. Caspar was talking animatedly about something as Felix stood with his shoulder to the wall. Almost as if he could feel her stare, he turned to look at her. His eyes dropped to Claude and Linhardt and he scoffed before turning away. 

**“He is awfully possessive of you.”**

_“What?”_

**“The scowling one is possessive of you. He does not like how the other students flock to you.”**

She sighed audibly and Claude cracked open one green eye to glance at her. She shook her head and he closed it again.

_“He’s driving me crazy. I feel like it’s one step forward, three steps back with him. He’s showing me the portrait of his brother, and then calling Dedue a lapdog. He’s cruel to others when he thinks I’m not around.”_ She bit back another sigh and ran a hand through Linhardt’s hair. _Goddess his hair is soft…_

**“Do you want to know what I think?”**

_“I don’t know… do I?”_

**“Well if you are going to be sassy, I won’t tell you. I’ll just let you figure out your own problems. I’m going to sleep.”**

She rolled her eyes and noticed that Claude was staring at her. She raised an eyebrow and whispered, “What?”

He smirked and said, “Sometimes you look like you are a world away, Teach. I was just pondering where you go when your eyes glaze over like that.”

She paused, trying to think of what to say. _I guess saying "I'm talking to the voice in my head" is out of the question._ She decided to go with her real problem. “I was just thinking about how weird it is to be around people. Being a mercenary was so simple, my only interactions were on the battlefield, Jeralt handled everything else. Now that I'm here..." her sentence trailed off as her eyes drifted to Felix and then back to Claude. "... sometimes I feel like I don’t really know who some people are. Do you ever feel like that? Is that normal?”

Claude turned his head to face the ceiling and whispered, “People only let us see what they want us to see, Teach. It takes a lot to earn trust from some people.”

She pouted slightly and looked down at Linhardt dozing in her lap. She raised her head after a moment and whispered, “I guess that’s true.” He smiled sadly at her and she reached out and tugged his braid lightly. “You should head to bed if you’re tired.” 

“What about Linny, Teach?”

Linhardt moved his head slightly and mumbled, “Don’t call me that.” She chuckled and ran a hand through his hair again. 

“Do you need me to take you back to your dorm, Linhardt? Or I could ask Caspar to take you?”

“Well if you don’t stop talking, I’ll never get any good sleep.” He sighed but made no move to leave his impromptu pillow.

Claude snickered and shook his head. “I want Teach as a pillow next, Linny. This table isn’t cutting it.” Linhardt hummed in thought and shook his head no. 

She chuckled softly and smiled at both of them. “You are both... odd.”

Claude winked at her before focusing on something behind her. "Hey, Your Princeliness! Are you coming to nap with Teach, too?"

Linhardt mumbled, "Not much napping is actually happening with all this talking. So bothersome..."

“Professor?” Dimitri spoke hesitantly from beside her as she craned her head around, trying not to disturb Linhardt. “I was hoping I could speak with you... privately.”

Linhardt sighed heavily and sat up. “Fine. I guess I’ll go back to my dorm. I’ll see you in the morning, Professor. I’ll tell Caspar to come with me.”

“Thanks, Linhardt. I look forward to seeing you in class.” She ruffled Claude’s hair, making it even more of a mess, and he made a sound of shocked affront and batted her hand away with an exaggerated grin.

She stepped out of the bench and Dimitri held out his arm for her to take. She did and he led her out of the dining hall and into the mostly empty reception hall. “I had a wonderful time tonight, Professor. As usual, I was astonished by how much you ate in the name of celebration!” She scoffed and smacked his arm, making him chuckle. “Really though, I must thank you again. Our victory in the Battle of the Eagle and Lion was thanks, in no small part, to you.

“We all did our part, Dima. It wasn’t just me.”

“Yes, that is true. But it is your instruction that allowed us to reach our full potential.” Warmth rushed to her cheeks at his continued praise and she reached up to put her hands over them. Dimitri laughed and it echoed through the hall. “I feel silly admitting this now, but when you first came to lead our class, I was nervous.”

“Why?” She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and tilted her head to her fist.

“You never smiled, and you never showed anger either. And yet, you didn’t seem to be suppressing your emotions. They just weren’t there.” She nodded before looking down at her shoes. “At first, I thought perhaps you just didn’t care for us, but I soon concluded that wasn’t the case at all. For the longest time I just couldn’t tell what you were thinking.” He chuckled softly and said, “It was as though you had no humanity whatsoever…”

“Well… that stings.” She looked off to the side as her unbeating heart dropped like a stone into her chest. _I guess he’s not wrong. It’s not like I’m like other people. Maybe I’m not even human. My heart doesn’t beat, and emotions are still so new to me._

Dimitri grabbed her hands and urgently said, “But you are different now, Professor. I was foolish to think that. In the half-year we’ve spent together, I’ve seen the glow of humanity in your eyes and in your actions, countless times. I am truly grateful to have had the chance to spend this time with you, Professor.”

The doors burst open and Sylvain looked at them briefly before saying, “Getting cozy, are we? Mind if I cut in?” He draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. Dimitri let go of her hands and took a step back. Sylvain leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Are you okay?” She nodded discreetly and he winked at her to play it off.

Dedue walked up and stood next to Dimitri. “That’s enough, Sylvain.” He glanced at her in concern but she gave him a soft smile and he relaxed slightly.

The rest of the Lions began walking out of the dining hall and joining them. “Oh please, I would love to join you as well! I have so many things I wish to talk to you about, Professor.” Mercedes walked to the side opposite Sylvain and held her free hand.

Annette giggled and clutched Mercedes free arm. “Oh, me too! I have so much I want to tell you! And I want to thank you, too!”

Ashe beamed at her and said, “Honestly, Professor? I was only able to achieve so much because you were with us. Now I can serve as a knight for Sylvain and his family and know I’m contributing to the world, because of you!” 

She quickly turned her head to Sylvain in surprise and he nodded with a playful wink. She smiled and looped her arm around his waist. _He’s looking out for, Ashe…_ Her chest filled with a pleasant warmth.

Ingrid nodded with a rare grin on her face. “Ashe is right. You are irreplaceable to us, Professor.”

Annette giggled, “Yes! That! Without you, the Blue Lions… well we wouldn’t even be the Blue Lions at all! Except the blue part. Because we’d be sad.” The joy she was feeling, being surrounded by her lions and hearing them speaking so highly of her, bubbled up through her chest and throat. She laughed and her cheeks hurt from smiling.

Felix crossed his arms and turned slightly away, but a rare grin split his face. “I guess there are worse things than fighting by your side.”

Flayn rushed forward and nodded, bouncing on the balls of her feet and clapping her hands. “I have had the opportunity to experience much. Please allow me to offer my gratitude once more, Professor.”

Dimitri chuckled and smiled at her over Flayn’s shoulder. “As you can see, you have our trust, as well as our admiration. I look forward to spending the rest of the year with you.”

She looked around at all of the smiling faces and placed a hand over her chest. “As do I, my lion cubs.”

Sylvain held out an arm for her to take. “Can I escort you back to your quarters, Professor?” She glanced up at him and saw a hint of concern in his eyes. She nodded and took his arm, waving goodbye to the rest of her students as they walked out the doors.

They walked in the cool evening air and she stared up at the stars as Sylvain led her back to her room. After a few moments of quiet he asked, “Are you okay? You looked pretty upset when I found you and His Highness just now.”

She hummed quietly and tilted her head to rest on his shoulder. “Dima said he thought I lacked humanity when I first got here.”

Sylvain tripped slightly in his surprise and she held his arm so he wouldn’t fall. He stopped walking and stared down at her. “Wait… he did? I thought he was practically in love with you before you were even made our professor.”

A sinking feeling in her chest made her reach up a hand and press it there. She turned away from him and walked with hurried steps. “He’s not exactly wrong, Sylvain.” 

Sylvain ran a few steps to catch up with her. “What are you talking about?”

“I didn’t really have emotions before I came here, Sylvain. At first, I couldn’t even smile or laugh, I still can’t cry. And…” She stopped before she could tell him her heart doesn’t beat. _Would he even want to be friends with me if he knew? Would he be scared of me?_

He pulled her to a stop just before the steps up to her door. “That doesn’t mean you lack humanity, By. It was cruel of him to say that. I don’t think he meant to make you feel bad, but he shouldn’t have said it.” He sighed in frustration before pulling her into a hug. “You are one of the most human people I know, By. I know emotions are hard for you, but you look out for everyone around you and you try so hard to make sure we are all taken care of. What’s inhuman about that?”

She stepped away from him and looked down at her boots. “I’m different from everyone I’ve ever met, Syl. I think it hurts because he’s right.” She glanced back up at him and tried to smile at him. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? I’m pretty tired.” She walked in her door and shut it behind her without turning back to look at him.

**“You are human, Byleth.”**

_“My heart doesn’t even beat. What human doesn’t have a beating heart?”_ She stripped off her clothes and fell into bed, tucking her knees up and burying her face in her pillow. _“As I was standing there with all my Lions, all I could think was how happy they made me. But what would they say if they knew? Would they still say kind things? Would they still say I’m invaluable to them?”_

Sothis hummed thoughtfully and said, **“I think you love them, Byleth. And if you love them, then you have a heart… even if yours does not beat.”**

_“I… You think I love them?”_

**“I know your heart like it is my own. I know you love them, dear one.”**

She sat up in bed and put a hand over her heart. _“I love them.”_ She smiled softly and flopped back onto the bed. The thought popped into her head and she asked, _“Do you think you loved someone, Sothis?”_

Sothis appeared above her and stared down at her. **“I do not remember.”** Her brow furrowed in frustration and she tipped her head to the side.

_“We should see if we can find a way to get you to remember. Is there anything I can do?”_

Sothis rested her cheek on her hand and stared up in thought. Suddenly her eyes went wide and she drifted closer to Byleth’s face. **“What if we went back to that place… what was it called?”** She tapped her chin a few times. **“Oh yes! Zanado!”**

_“The place where we took out the bandits?”_

**“Yes! That one! You said it felt familiar, even though you had never been there before. It brought back some fragments of my memory. I feel we must return, maybe we can find some answers there.”**

_“Alright.”_ She shrugged and rolled over to her side. _“We’ll go on Sunday. We’ll get some answers and find out who you are.”_

Sothis giggled excitedly and vanished. **“Thank you, Byleth! Goodnight.”**

She woke early Sunday morning, the day she planned to go to Zanado, to a knock on her door. She rolled out of bed and threw on a robe, before opening the door and finding a nervous looking Jeralt standing there.

“Jeralt? What’s going on? When did you get back?” 

“Get dressed, Kid. Something is going down in Remire. We need to find Shamir and find out what it is.” She felt the blood drain from her face as she slammed the door shut, threw on some clothes, and rushed out the door. “I heard she went to talk to Manuela. Let’s head there.”

As they entered the second-floor hallway where the infirmary was, they could hear voices. “That’s what we are dealing with. Is there no chance it’s an infectious disease?” Shamir’s alto voice reached them and both of them walked a little faster.

“There are no absolutes in medicine, but chances are extremely slim. Restless movements, fits of violence, becoming bedridden or even impossible to wake… with symptoms that varied there are only a few possibilities. It’s either a mixture of poisons or magic. And dark magic, at that.”

As they entered the infirmary her father spoke up. “You’re talking about Remire Village, aren’t you Manuela?

Manuela smirked and turned toward them. “Oh my, if it isn’t Jeralt. Tell me, what was the first thing you heard?”

“Everything after you mentioned that it’s likely not an infectious disease. Byleth and I owe the people of Remire Village. If something is happening there, we must help them.” Her breathing quickened and a weight settled in her chest. _Not Remire… Ashe, Sylvain, Flayn, and now this?_

Shamir shook her head and looked on in sympathy. “We scouted the area ourselves. Speak with the knights. Hear what they have to say. I must go. Thank you for your help, Manuela.”

They stepped out into the hallway and he shook his head with a groan. “I can’t believe this.” He sighed heavily and looked down at her. “I’ll be in my office making preparations. What about you? If you have the time, it would be helpful if you could go ahead and talk to the knights and…”

Her breathing quickened even more as memories flashed before her. Her time spent in Remire when she hurt her knee, the smiling faces and singing voices as the mercenaries sat with their friends around the tavern. The innkeeper that always had a room ready for them, the cook who would always sneak her an extra helping because she knew how much Byleth liked to eat. Suddenly the edges of her vision began to go dark and her head started to spin. She could hear the sounds of something knocking... or... _is that a heartbeat?_ She reached out a hand in an attempt to steady herself, but it didn’t work. Everything went black.

“Kid?! What’s wrong?!”

“Teach?!”

She opened her eyes to the concerned faces of her father and Claude, both staring down at her as she laid on the floor. Her head felt fuzzy and her blood seemed to be rushing in her ears. She suddenly felt so weak and dizzy. She put a hand on her chest. _Was my... heart beating?_ She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’m fine. I just got really dizzy all the sudden.” 

She started to stand and the floor seemed to move beneath her. Claude stepped forward and looped an arm around her waist, pulling one of her arms over his shoulder. “Are you sure you are okay, Teach?”

Her father still had a look of concern on his face. “If anything feels off you should go back to the infirmary. Got it? No need to just grin and bear it.”

“I’ll be fine, Jeralt. I think I just need to lie down for a while.”

“I’ll help you back to your room, Teach.” Claude’s eyebrows were furrowed and he was frowning in concern. She didn’t like it.

“Fine… I’ll talk to the knight’s after I rest for a bit and I’ll report to you later tonight, Jeralt.” She waved over her shoulder as Claude hauled her toward the stairs.

**“What could have caused such dizziness? I felt it too. Actually… I’ve felt that way before…”**

“How are you feeling, Teach? You look like you are far away again. Are you sure you don’t want me to take you to the infirmary?”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine with some rest, there’s no need to worry Manuela.” 

As they got closer to her room, images flashed again. She saw Dimitri, Claude, and Edelgard that first night when they walked out of the inn. She saw the woods near Remire where they had fought the bandits. She remembered when she first spoke with Sothis, and her father's lecture about keeping a clear head. The world started to spin again and she froze as she started to fall over again.

Claude bent down and picked her up bridal style, “Teach? Teach, you are kinda freaking me out.”

“Byelth?!” Felix’s voice echoed from down the pathway and seemed to drum against her brain like a hammer. She winced slightly and put a hand to her temple. “What happened? What’s wrong with her?”

Claude’s voice was thin with worry as he said, “Look, just help me get her into her room and I’ll explain. Geesh, Teach. For someone so small you are seriously heavy.”

She pounded a fist on his shoulder weakly and her speech slurred slightly when she called out, “It’s muscle, Claude. Some people have that.”

Claude chuckled as Felix opened her door and Claude walked her inside and put her down on the bed. The room seemed to spin so she put her fists in front of her eyes, trying to get it all to stop.

She heard Felix say, “What the hell happened? What’s wrong with her?”

Claude’s voice was far softer than Felix's as he answered, “I don’t know. I was heading to the library and all the sudden she just fainted. Jeralt and I both freaked out. She said she didn’t want to go to the infirmary so I brought her here.”

“Fe?” The mattress shifted as weight was placed on it.

“What do you need? Are you okay?” He turned to Claude and said, “You can go, I’ve got her.”

“I’ll go grab some food and water for her. Maybe that will help.” 

She heard the latch on the door shut and felt a hand touch hers over her eyes. “Byleth? What’s wrong?” 

“Everything is spinning. I feel… dizzy… weak.” Felix pulled his hand away and she missed the warmth.

“What happened before you felt dizzy and weak? Did you eat something weird? Did you hit your head?”

“Remire Village…” a lump formed in her throat and her breathing quickened again “Something is happening in Remire Village.”

“Where’s Remire Village? What’s happening?”

Her head spun again and she clenched her jaw as her eyes started to burn. _“I don’t think we are going to Zanado today, Sothis.”_

**“Ugh… this dizziness… it’s awful.”** Even Sothis sounded terrible, it made her feel even worse.

“Byleth?” Felix’s voice was soft and his weight shifted slightly on the bed.

She cracked open an eye and saw he was in his training clothes before she shut it again. “You… were going to the training hall, sorry. I didn’t mean to stop you… You can go if you want.”

Felix was quiet for a long time, but he didn’t move to leave. Finally, he whispered, “I don’t only care about training, you know.”

A gentle knock sounded at the door and someone walked in. “Hey Teach, I brought some food and water. Do you want some?”

She waved her hand vaguely in the direction of her desk and she heard him head that direction and place the tray down on the desk.

Felix whispered, “Have you heard anything about Remire Village?”

Claude's voice was hesitant as he whispered, “What’s happening in Remire?”

“I don’t know. She said that something was happening, I’m assuming she got the news before she got dizzy.”

“That’s where I met Teach." Claude's empty eyed smile flashed before her. _He's finally warmed up to me a little bit, he doesn't look at me like that anymore._ "That’s where she and Jeralt were when we asked them for help.”

Her voice was oddly soft when she said, “They took care of me.” 

Both boys went quiet and Felix shifted closer to her. “Who took care of you, Byleth?”

“Remire Village. They took care of me when I got hurt and Jeralt needed to leave. We… we owe them. I owe them. And something is happening.” Her throat seized and she grabbed at her neck with her hand.

“I didn’t know that. I’m sorry, Teach.” She felt a hand on one of hers and she opened hers so they could hold her hand. She cracked an eye open and saw Claude’s hand in hers as he smiled down at her.

Felix stood up and walked toward the door. “I’m going to go and train.” He didn’t even glance at her before he walked out and shut the door behind him. _So much for caring about anything other than training._

Claude sat down where Felix had been and stroked her hand. “Can I get anything for you, Teach? Do you want me to grab Manuela or anything?”

“Will you stay with me? Just for a little bit? Just in case?” 

Claude smiled down at her and nodded. “Why don’t you tell me more about Remire?”

She hummed and shut her eyes again. “Shortly after we left Sylvain’s house, we headed to a job in the Alliance. A village needed help, something about… poachers? It’s hard to remember.” She furrowed her brow and thought about it more. “We were attacked in our camp. I twisted my knee wrong, and hurt it during the fight. That’s why I have to wear a poleyn with supports when I fight, it still gives me trouble sometimes. I couldn’t walk, so Jeralt took me to the nearby village, it was Remire.” She took a deep breath and Claude squeezed her hand lightly.

“The village in the Alliance still needed help, even if I was injured. The innkeeper offered me a room to stay in and he told Jeralt he would look out for me while I healed. It was the longest we had ever been separated. Jeralt was nervous about leaving me, but the people in the village were kind, they weren’t scared of me like everyone else… so I told him to go.”

Claude nodded and thoughtful looked crossed his face. “I wonder if that was when Leonie met Jeralt?”

“Oh… I wonder...”

“Well I hope whatever is going on in Remire is over soon. The place is pretty special to me, too.”

She furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head slightly on her pillow. “It is?”

Claude chuckled and brushed some hair out of her face. “That’s where I met you, Teach. It’ll always be important to me now.” He winked his exaggerated wink, but there was a hint of warmth in his eyes that she had never seen before.

Heat spread across her cheeks and she turned her head away from him, trying to hide it. “Oh… I guess that makes sense.” She slowly sat up and turned so her back was against the wall next to her bed. “I think it’s passed.”

Claude studied her face for a while. “I'm worried about you, Teach.” She leaned forward and tugged lightly on his braid as he laughed. “But seriously, are you sure you don’t want me to get Manuela?”

“No. I’ll be fine, Claude. I need to go and speak with the knights that scouted Remire so I can find out what’s going on. I promised I’d report to Jeralt later.” She scooted slowly off the bed and stood, testing her balance. She was still slightly dizzy, but it was manageable. “Thanks for staying with me, and for getting me food.”

Claude grinned at her and winked, “Anything for you, Teach. I’m going to head to the library. I’ll see you around.” He waved before shutting the door behind him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All hell is about to break loose for Dimitri... *Sigh* poor boy. Remire is just... awful. I'm not excited about the next few chapters.


	41. Chapter 41

~Felix~

It had been a week since he found Claude von Riegan holding Byleth outside her door. She had said she felt dizzy and weak, and her skin was pale as she trembled slightly. It was unsettling seeing her like that. Byleth is one of the strongest people he knew, even if she was comically tiny for the amount of power she wielded on a battlefield. Seeing her so weak and dizzy that she couldn’t even look at him? It was too much for him. He had… made a tactical retreat… and left her with Claude. Even if he hated that the schemer was going to be the one to care for her.

He had seen her later that same afternoon, still pale and clammy, as she ran around the monastery talking to various knights. Everyone was talking about Remire Village. There was worry that it would be the start of another plague, similar to the one that had ripped through the Kingdom about ten years prior. The knights that had come back from scouting seemed fine, though. Byleth told him that she had a feeling it was something much worse. She looked worried, and if she was worried… well he was, too.

It was the Sunday after her fainting incident and he was at the armory looking through their wares when Byleth rode by on her horse. He put down the killer sword he had been examining and walked in front of her horse with his arms crossed. “Where do you think you’re going?”

She narrowed her eyes at him and said, “Get out of the way, Fraldarius.”

He glared and stood firm. “You still look ill. You taught all week, despite the fact that everyone was urging you to rest. So where are you going?” He examined her for a moment and saw she had her mercenary garb on and the Sword of the Creator on her hip. He could hear the vials of concoctions and vulneraries tinkling slightly in her bag. 

“Why do you insist on acting like you are my keeper? In case you haven’t noticed, I’m your teacher. Not to mention an accomplished mercenary with more battle experience than you.” 

He was going to ignore that. “Why are you taking all of that stuff? Are you fighting?”

She shrugged and said, “If it will get you off my back… No. I don’t plan on fighting, I just want to be prepared. I’m going to Zanado to look around, I’ll be back by nightfall. Now get out of my way.” 

She steered her horse around him and he yelled, “Why there?!” She didn’t even bother to turn in response, she just kicked her horse into a gallop and took off down the road.

He turned and ran back through the Entrance Hall, looking for Sylvain. _She can’t just go off by herself… what if she faints again? What if she gets attacked?_ He ran toward the dining hall and found Sylvain chatting up some guy who looked vaguely familiar. _One of the knights maybe?_ He shook his head. _Not important._

He pulled Sylvain up by the arm, but Sylvain pushed him off. “Dude, what gives?!”

“Byleth just left the monastery.”

Sylvain raised an eyebrow and looked at him like he was crazy. “Okay… and your point is?”

“She had the Sword of the Creator with her and she said she was going to Zanado to look around.”

Sylvain’s eyes went slightly wider as he looked at him. “But… she’s been pale and exhausted lately… what if something happens?”

“Exactly. We need to follow her. What if she faints again? Or what if she gets attacked? I promised Jeralt we would look out for her. So, let’s go.”

Sylvain turned to his clearly confused date and said something. It was probably annoyingly charming and fake, but it didn’t even register in his ears because Felix was practically vibrating with worry. As they rushed out of the dining hall Sylvain said, “We should tell His Highness and take the others with us. What if there are bandits again?”

Felix froze and thought about it. He groaned and ran his hand down his face. “I guess you are right.”

They took off for the Knight’s Hall and found the boar. When they told him what was going on, he told Dedue to fetch the rest of the Lions and they all grabbed their armor and supplies before heading out in pursuit of their professor. 

Ingrid and Sylvain flew above them, as Felix and the rest rode their horses down the road leading to Zanado. As they entered the canyon Sylvain took off like a shot as Ingrid flew down to them.

“What’s going on Ingrid? Where is Sylvain going?” The boar yelled up to her.

“It’s the Professor! She’s surrounded by giant wolves! Sylvain is going to help.” All of the blood drained from Felix’s face and he clenched his fists to keep them from shaking. _That damnable woman…_  
Suddenly a massive roar rang out behind them and all of them turned around. A massive beast stood at the mouth of the canyon, flanked by a giant bird on each side. They were surrounded by monsters.

“We need to get to the Professor. If we can get to her, I’m sure she can find a way for us to fight our way out of this.” The boar’s voice was firm, but his eyes were wide and he was gripping the reins of his horse with white knuckles. 

They took off, Ingrid leading them in the direction Sylvain had flown off in. They reached a set of stone stairs that led further into the canyon and saw Byleth fighting off three giant wolves, one already laid dead off to the side. Sylvain was making passes through the air, striking them with his lance as his wyvern tried to get as close as possible without putting her rider in harm’s way.

As they all rode toward her, one of the giant wolves howled and pounced on top of her. Felix heard screaming, who it was he couldn’t tell. He was too busy holding his breath as Sylvain yelled “By!” desperately from the skies. The wolf fell limp and Felix exhaled loudly as it was pushed to the side. A gore covered Byleth stumbled to her feet, before shaking herself off and running toward the remaining Giant wolves. Felix screamed, “Ingrid! Go help!” and with a whinny her pegasus swooped down to take some of the attention off of Byleth.

The boar shouted, “Felix, Mercedes, and Ashe, go and help Ingrid. The rest of us will take on the other giant wolf.”

The others split off as the giant wolf that was furthest from Byleth heard them coming. He watched as Annette blasted off a wind spell before he turned and focused on riding toward Byleth. The Aegis Shield felt heavy on his arm as he rode. _Faster… faster… we have to be faster._

Byleth’s face was determined and slightly frightening as she did a deadly dance around a giant wolf. She weaved in and out so elegantly that part of Felix wanted to stop and watch. She let out a brief cry as the wolf scratched her arm and it snapped him out of it. Felix, and Ashe dismounted and rushed in to help. Ashe stood further back as unleashed arrows at the wolf’s side, while he ran up to stand closer to Byleth.

The wolf tried to strike at her with its paw, and he slashed at the joint of its shoulder. It howled in pain and fell forward, giving Byleth a chance to swing down with the Sword of the Creator and take off it’s head. Its body fell to the side and Byleth sprinted off to help the others without even acknowledging them. 

Sylvain’s wyvern roared above them, taking off after Byleth. There was a howl behind him, and Felix turned to see another wolf had flanked them and was now approaching. He yelled out, “Another one behind us!” and took off to confront it.

Ashe ran forward with him, and one of his arrows pierced the giant wolf’s eye. Ingrid swooped down on her pegasus and stabbed at its side, causing it to howl and throw its head. It reared up on its back paws before pounding them into the ground. The earth seemed to tremor from the force of the impact, and Felix tightened his grip on his sword as he fought to keep his balance. _Damnable woman…_ He fought the urge to check on Byleth, and concentrated on the wolf in front of him.

Mercedes blasted off a fire spell that hit the wolf in the face. The smell of burnt hair filled Felix’s nostrils as he dodged a paw, before stabbing at the wolf’s chest. He rolled out of the way, just in time for Ingrid to swoop in and stab it through the neck. It fell with a whimper, and Felix ran forward to pull out Ingrid’s lance and throw it back to her. She nodded in thanks and they all turned back to the stairs.

Byleth shouted, “Come on! We are all going to have to work together for the demonic beast!” He and Ashe grabbed the reins of their frightened horses and led them toward where Byleth and the others were waiting. 

Byleth’s face was the usual battle mask of neutrality. Her voice was firm and full of authority as she called out, “Ashe, Mercedes, Annette, and Flayn, I want you to focus on the birds. Annette, your wind spells are going to be essential. All of you, focus on their wings.”

“Dedue, Dimitri, Felix, and I will take on the Demonic Beast. Sylvain and Ingrid, I want you to try and fly around and flank it. Stay away from the giant birds, if they try to attack you fly towards Ashe or one of the mages.” 

She sprinted up the stairs and after a breath everyone followed, most of them leaving their terrified mounts behind. The boar was still mounted, being more practiced with fighting on horseback, so he easily kept up with Byleth. The Demonic Beast roared as it spotted them, and some sort of liquid sprayed from its mouth. Byleth shouted, “Poison!” and jumped out of the way as Dimitri veered his horse away.

Byleth whipped out the Sword of the Creator and slashed it across the face. Its blood flowed into its eyes, making it harder for it to see them, and it shook its head with an angry growl. The boar let out a yell and jabbed his lance into its side as Felix continued to run toward them. 

There was a screech to his right, and he turned in time to watch Flayn hit one of the giant birds with a fire spell. It swooped down to try and grab her, but Annette blasted it with a wind spell and it had to retreat. Ashe was pelting its wings with arrows as it circled back to them. Mercedes cried out as the other one flew toward them. 

Suddenly Byleth ran toward them and hit the giant bird with a thunder spell that seemed to make it hard for it to continue to fly. Ashe fired off an arrow and it pierced its throat, sending it toppling to the ground. As Felix turned away, he heard the dying screech of the other as well.

Byleth was a blur of blue, black, and grey. She sprinted back toward the Demonic Beast and he dashed in to help. Byleth yelled, “Poison! Back away!” Everyone did as they were told, and a second later the Demonic Beast threw back its head with a roar and sprayed the poison at them, but they were too far away for it to hit them. _How did she…?_ Dedue stomped forward in his heavy armor and struck its head with his axe. 

Felix ran forward with the Aegis Shield on his arm and deflected a swipe of its paw before slashing its chest. It howled with pain and reared back on its hind legs. He felt a strong tug on the back of his armor and he fell back a couple feet as it crashed forward, clawed limbs landing right where he had been standing. Dust clouded around them, displaced by the massive tremor the Demonic Beast had caused. Felix coughed and rubbed at his eyes, trying to scramble back further away from the Demonic Beast. 

He could see the glow of the Sword of the Creator to his left as Byleth sprinted past him. He heard the beast roar and a huge thud as he scrambled to his feet. “Byleth!” He coughed as some of the dust flew into his lungs. When it cleared, the Demonic Beast was dead on the ground. Its blood covered the ground around it. She was standing above the body, her eyes were glazed as the Sword of the Creator dangled in her grip.

His chest burned and he threw his sword down with a growl. “What the hell did you think you were doing?! You could have been killed if we didn’t follow you!” She turned slowly toward him as he yelled at her. “Do you think you are indestructible?! You’ve been sick the whole week and you decide to go on a stupid ADVENTURE?! What am I…” His words were cut off when she ran forward and threw herself into his arms. His mouth opened and shut as his angry words died in his throat. She tucked her head into his neck and clung to him.

She whispered, “I’m sorry.” He held her tight and tucked his head into her shoulder.

“You can’t just… throw yourself into danger like that. You can’t just…”

“I know. I know.”

“Goddess By… you scared the hell out of us.” Sylvain’s voice was thin with worry behind him and Byleth let him go and pulled a pale Sylvain into a hug. 

“I’m sorry guys. I didn’t think there would be so many monsters.”

He glanced around at his classmates as they circled around them. Mercedes was healing a cut on Ashe’s arm. Flayn was healing Dedue’s leg. Everyone seemed to be mostly unscathed. They had been lucky.

Byleth let Sylvain go, but Sylvain still stood really close and had a hand on her shoulder like if he wasn’t touching her, she might disappear. After watching that giant wolf pounce on her, Felix felt something similar, not that he would do anything about it. She cleared her throat and looked around at all of them. 

“I’m so proud of all of you. You all handled yourselves really well against all of those monsters.” Everyone nodded and stared at her, everyone seemingly in shock that they had been able to fight everything off. She bowed low with an arm across her chest. “Thank you for coming to my aid. I was worried I wouldn’t get out of here for a moment there.” Annette chuckled nervously, her hands were fists in front of her chest. Ashe walked over and put a comforting arm around her.

Byleth looked at each of them, her expression carefully neutral. “We should get out of here, quickly. If there was one Demonic Beast, there might be more nearby.” She turned to Sylvain. “Can I ride with you? My horse bolted when the wolves attacked.” Sylvain nodded and led her over to the wyvern who immediately nuzzled into Byleth, checking her over.

When they got closer to the gates of the monastery, Sylvain and Byleth flew toward the aviary while the rest of them rode toward the stables. When they got there, they found an angry Caspar and a bored Linhardt. 

“Where the heck were you guys?!” Caspar crossed his arms and furrowed his eyebrows. “Edelgard and Hubert told us that you all left and we didn’t know where you were?!” 

The boar dismounted and walked forward. “We are very sorry. We should have asked for your aid. I was notified that the Professor had left on her own to go to Zanado, and in the rush to make sure she was safe I had forgotten you might like to be invited.” 

Linhardt’s head popped up and he quirked a brow. “She went to Zanado, you say?” His head swiveled as he looked around the area. “Where is our lovely Professor?”

Dimitri cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head. “I believe she headed to the wyvern aviary. Her horse bolted when she was attacked by monsters. She had to ride back with Sylvain.”

“Ahhh man! We missed out on a monster fight?!” Caspar smacked his forehead as he whined. Ashe chuckled and put an arm around him, dragging him toward the dining hall.

Linhardt sighed and rolled his eyes. “I have no interest in that. However… I am curious as to what she was doing there…” He looked in the direction of the aviary and nodded his head. “I’ll see you guys around.” He waved lazily over his shoulder and wandered off. Felix followed after him. Linhardt glanced back at him and sighed, “And what are you doing?”

“I want to hear this, too.” Felix crossed his arms and glared at the green haired mage, daring him to object.

Linhardt shrugged and said, “Suit yourself.”

  
When they got to the aviary, Sylvain and Byleth were just exiting. Byleth’s eyebrows rose at the sight of them together. “Hello, Linhardt. How are you?”

Linhardt sighed and slouched his shoulders. “I’ve had to listen to Caspar whine that we were left behind for the last two hours. It’s all rather tiring, Professor.”

Byleth smirked and crossed her arms. “Is that so? I’ll be sure to train extra with him soon to make up for it. Did you need something?”

Linhardt gave a small smile and his eyes brightened. “Well, Prince Dimitri informed us that you snuck of to Zanado. I was wondering why? The Church is very strict about allowing people to enter, but there isn’t much information about it in the library. I looked into it when I heard about your class’ first assignment.”

Byleth’s eyes sharpened and she glanced around them. Felix tensed slightly and raised an eyebrow. _Why is she so on edge?_ She grabbed Linhardt’s arm and dragged him down the path toward a more secluded corner. Felix glanced at Sylvain, who shrugged and then followed after them.

“So… are you going to tell us, or what?” Felix crossed his arms as they finally stopped at a bench. 

Byleth’s eyes seemed to glaze over and she tilted her head slightly. Linhardt watched her with interest, his eyes brighter and more alert than Felix had ever seen. Byleth shook her head and looked up at them. “When we went to Zanado the first time…” She paused and bit her lip before continuing “… I felt like I had been there before. There was this weird sense of familiarity.” She looked out over the landscape, avoiding their stares.

Her voice was quiet and they all leaned forward slightly to hear her. “Rhea told me that Zanado used to be a “temporary haven” of the goddess. I thought it would be interesting to go and investigate.” _Bullshit._ Anger built up in him slowly, but he bit his tongue.

Linhardt propped his cheek on his hand and looked at her critically. “A temporary haven for the goddess… hmm…” He furrowed his eyebrows. “And did you find anything interesting?”

Byleth’s eyes glazed over again and Sylvain stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder, eyebrows furrowed in concern. It was weird whenever she made that face, it was like she was far away even though she was right in front of them. She looked at Linhardt and said, “There are ruins there, like people used to live there. I found a stone wall that had weird shapes carved into it, but nothing that made any sense. Giant wolves attacked me before I could find anything of value.” Her eyes narrowed and she put a hand on one of his. “Don’t try anything. It was full of monsters.”

Linhardt sighed like all of this was a huge inconvenience for him personally and shook his head. “As interesting as that sounds, I have no desire to fight a ton of monsters for more information.” The side of his mouth pulled up in a smile and he said, “I am glad you are safe, Professor. I’m going to go and take a nap.” He waved and wandered away.

As soon as Linhardt was out of hearing range, Felix got in her face, glaring her down as he yelled, “That’s it?! That’s all you are going to tell us?!” Sylvain cut him a stern look, but he paid him no mind. “You risked your life, and the life of all of your students and the only explanation you are going to give is some crap about the goddess?!”

Byleth frowned and reached out for his hand, but he pulled it away in a huff. “You aren’t telling us something.” Byleth’s face went back to forced neutrality and it solidified the feeling that she was hiding something. “You’re hiding something from us. What is it?” Sylvain frowned and stared at Byleth.

She shook her head and crossed her arms. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Bullshit.” Felix glared and scoffed. “I didn’t think you were the type to lie and hide things.”

Hurt flashed over her face and she wrapped her arms around herself. “It’s not that I want to lie… it’s just…” She frowned and stared at the ground. “I just don’t know if… you would believe me.”

He raised an eyebrow and Sylvain wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “It’s okay, By. We are your friends. If you need more time then… we’ll wait.”

“What?! We’ll wait? That’s all you are going to say?” 

Sylvain stared him down as he continued, “For now, I think you need rest. You look really pale, and you’ve already been looking tired all week.”

Felix looked her over and cringed. Sylvain was right, she was pale, the bags under her eyes were deep, and her hands trembled slightly in her lap. He wanted to know what she was hiding, and why she felt she couldn’t tell them what it was, but she looked terrible. Cuts lined her arms and there was a tear in the torso of her armor.

She gave Sylvain a sad smile and stood, wobbling slightly. Sylvain stood quickly and looped her arm with his. “Should I take you to the infirmary? Manuela can probably get you healed up.”

Her brows furrowed and she looked down. “If I go to Manuela, I’ll have to explain all of this to Seteth.” She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “Though I guess I’ll have to anyway because of the horse. And if Caspar and Linhardt know, others probably do, too.” She looked around like she might see an angry Seteth walking toward them at any moment.

He crossed his arms and turned slightly away from them. “Just tell them it was extra training. We haven’t fought many monsters, but requests come in from merchants all the time for help against them.” 

Her eyes brightened and a small smile pulled at her lips. “Good idea. Thanks, Felix.” She turned to Sylvain and said, “Will you just help me to my room? I only have some cuts and scrapes. I should be able to tend to them myself.”

Sylvain smiled and nodded, same carefree obnoxious attitude as always. “Yeah! You coming, Fe?”

“No. I’ve got more training I want to do.” 

He stomped off in the direction of the training grounds, but stopped when Byleth yelled behind him. “Felix, we just fought off giant wolves, giant birds, and a demonic beast. You’ve had enough for today. Go and rest.” When he turned back with a retort on the tip of his tongue, Byleth’s face was stern, even with the fact that she looked like she might fall over at any moment. 

He groaned and rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll go get food... then train. I’ll see you tomorrow in class.” He sped away, not wanting to deal with them anymore. _Are you always going to be too busy being mad at her to realize she’s hurting?_ He walked toward the dining hall, face stern to avoid talking to anyone. _What is she hiding? Why does she feel like she can’t tell us? None of it makes sense!_

~Sylvain~

He closed Byleth’s door after helping her to her room and let out a deep exhale. _This is not at all what I thought my Sunday was going to be like. I thought I was just going to have a hot lunch date and see if I could stretch it into a… more than that. But monsters and watching Byleth almost die?_ He shuddered and walked down the steps. There was this annoying tightness in his chest and he lifted a hand to press on it, like the act could make it go away.

“Sylvain!”

He turned quickly and gave a mock salute. “Your Highness… fancy seeing you here.”

Dimitri sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I sincerely hope you are not bothering our Professor again.”

Sylvain tensed, but kept the grin on his face. “Hey… she may be my Professor, but she’s also my friend. I think she would tell me if I were bugging her, don’t you?”

Dimitri stared at him for a while and then nodded. “I suppose you are right.” He paused and looked up at her door. “Was she… alright?”

The faux cheeriness was thick as he crossed his arms behind his head. “Yeah! She was a bit tired, and she’s still not feeling well. I think she just needs to rest. You know how she is… always working hard.” Sylvain chuckled and patted Dimitri’s arm. “Kind of like someone else I know! Say… why don’t you and I go into town and grab dinner. Maybe we could pick up some pretty girls?” He winked and looped an arm over Dimitri’s shoulder. “What do you say?”

“You aren’t even cleaned off after fighting monsters this afternoon and you are already thinking about chasing skirts?” 

He looked down at his filthy armor and rubbed the back of his head. “Well… I would clean off first. Besides, after the day I just had… I think I need a drink. Come on! Come with me. You need to get out more. Naïve and uptight is no way to live life. We have the rest of our lives to be boring and responsible. I want to see you with a cute girl on your arm.”

Dimitri scoffed and crossed his arms. “Naïve and uptight? Is that really what you think of me?” 

In his best Dimitri impression, he said, “Oh, Professor! Your smile is downright mesmerizing!” Dimitri flushed bright red and shook his head. “Here, take this dagger as a symbol of my love!”

“Really Sylvain… will you never let that go?! I was only a child and I didn’t have any warning that she was leaving…” Dimitri was still shaking his head violently as he stammered. “And the Professor is a great teacher, nothing more.” 

_Yeah… right…_ Sylvain folded his arms behind his back so Dimitri wouldn’t see his fists clench. “Riiiiight… well then come to town with me! I’m going either way. You could always come to keep me out of trouble? The pretty girls will just be a perk. And with the Crowned Prince of Faerghus by my side?” He whistled lowly and patted Dimitri’s shoulder. “We’ll have to fight them off.” 

“No thank you, Sylvain. You know, you really ought to spend even half of the energy you put toward chasing your romantic escapades on your weapons training. You would probably be the most skilled of us all.” Dimitri chuckled at his own joke.

“No thanks. Flirting is way more fun!” He walked toward his room to pick up his bath supplies and called over his shoulder, “See ya later, Your Highness!”

Dimitri yelled after him, “We still have class tomorrow! I don’t want to find you stumbling in drunk… AGAIN.” All he did was wave over his shoulder.

_I need a drink._

  
The tavern was full, even for a Sunday night. Sylvain could hear murmurs about Remire, people worrying that it might be another plague. The atmosphere was somber, and that was DEFINITELY not what he was looking for.

He stared down into his drink, swirling it around to watch how the candlelight changed the color. _What the hell am I even doing?_ He scoffed to himself and shook his head. He downed his drink and signaled to the barmaid to request another. His head was already pleasantly fuzzy, but he could stand to be more drunk. His chest still felt tight and his leg was bouncing under the table, he was still way too wound up. _Maybe I just need to get laid… I don’t know why I’m acting like this._

An unhelpful voice whispered, _“It’s because you care about Byleth and she was in danger.”_

He scoffed at the intrusive thought and stared at his annoyingly empty glass. _Well, Byleth is a goddess damned mercenary, she can take care of herself. She’s one of the best fighters I know, if not the best. The Blade Breaker is pretty good, if their sparring is anything to judge off of. Besides, By is my friend. Sure I care about her. That doesn’t explain this awful tightness…_ His hand reached up to his chest again.

None of his friends, save maybe Felix, made him feel the way Byleth made him feel. And even with Felix it was different. With Felix it was comfort, because it always was. Sylvain stared into his drink, the color of the liquor next to the candlelight made him think of Felix’s eyes.

_“It was the best day of my life…”_ Felix’s chuckle as he had told Ashe about that day. The now foreign softness in Felix’s voice as he said, _“… she made him hurt for hurting you.”_ He shook the thought from his head. Miklan territory was too dangerous for when he was drunk. And he was definitely drunk.

But By… when he was with By, his cheeks always felt sore from smiling. Real smiling, not ones he had to plaster on for other people. There was a sense of calm, a feeling like he didn’t have to be asshole skirt chaser Sylvain because… well because she had already seen the façade crumble. She saw right through it, in a way Felix didn't even seem to. And she hadn’t pushed him away, in fact she had worried about him. She had cared for him, even after he trying to push HER away. Even after he had tried to destroy it all, she had still worried about him. Not even Ingrid, Dimitri, and Felix did that. 

_Goddess… why am I such an asshole to my friends? And why am I thinking about Felix and Byleth when I could have someone on my arm right now?_

He scoffed and shook his head again. These thoughts were getting him absolutely nowhere. _I don’t even have the capability of…_ He shook his head again, like he could shake all of the weird thoughts away. _That can’t be. Anything like that would be… it would just be a waste of time._ The barmaid winked at him as she sat his drink down in front of him, giving him the perfect view of her breasts in her low-cut shirt. He winked and gave her his best grin, as his foot bounced violently under the table.

_“No one could ever love you anyway…”_ Miklan’s voice echoed through his mind as he drank from his new glass. _“Who could ever love a piece of shit like you?”_

He realized his jaw was clenched and reached up a hand to massage it. He drank what was left of his drink and stood, wobbling slightly as the room spun. _Yes, definitely drunk._ He dropped the necessary coin on the table and nodded his head to the man behind the bar before stumbling out the door. He took in a deep breath of the cool night air. It cleared his head a bit as he walked up the hill to the monastery.

_“Why do you even try…”_ Miklan’s voice sneered _“… you know that none of this really matters. You’ll always be the same as you’ve always been. A piece of shit. Nothing. All of those people? They only like you for your Crest, your money, maybe your looks if they have bad taste.”_ Miklan’s laugh echoed as he stumbled past the gatekeeper, heading toward the pond. _“Hell, mom and dad only put up with you because of the damned thing. If you didn’t have it, they’d throw you away… just like they threw me away. If they can’t love you, who could?”_

He took in a deep breath as he stared at the moonlight as it danced on the pond. _That wasn’t my fault… I didn’t ask for any of this._

_“Well you got it anyway. Lucky you.”_ Miklan’s voice scoffed and he could almost picture the look of disapproval on his face. 

“Sylvain!” Felix’s annoyed voice rang out behind him. Sylvain spun too quickly for how drunk he was, and stumbled. Felix threw out his arms to catch him. “You’re drunk again.” His nose wrinkled in disgust as he looked over Sylvain.

“Guilty as charged.” His chuckle was dry as he righted himself.

Felix’s eyebrows furrowed as he crossed his arms. “What’s wrong with you?”

“What are you talking about, Fe?”

“You are acting weird.” He looked around them and his eyes narrowed. “And why are you alone?”

Sylvain stepped forward and threw an arm over Felix’s shoulders, pulling him a little too close. “I’m not alone! You’re here!”

Felix scoffed and brushed him off. “I know I’m here, idiot. I’m asking why you don’t have some…” his nose wrinkled again as he looked to the side “… somebody to… ya know... I’m assuming you went out and got drunk to meet someone.” Not a question, a statement. A lie that Felix STILL believed, because of course he did. Sylvain had told it too many times for it to be anything but truth.

Sylvain chuckled hollowly and ran a hand through his hair. “I can see why you would think that, but I wasn’t feeling it tonight. I just needed a drink… or ten.”

Felix’s eyebrow rocketed toward his hairline and his face took on a cute incredulous look. _Wait… cute?_ “You? You didn’t feel like it? The insatiable Sylvain?” Suddenly his face morphed back to a scowl and he turned away. “Never mind, I don’t care. I’m going to bed.”

“Wait! Fe!” Sylvain stumbled after him, throwing an arm around his shoulder. “I’m coming with you.”

Felix brushed him off. Again. “I’m not dragging you back to your room. I’m not your keeper.”

He pouted and his voice was whiney as he said, “But you act like By’s! Come on… care for your old pal Sylvain.”

Felix stiffened and turned to glare at him. His voice was a growl as he said, “I am NOT Byleth’s keeper. I do NOT act like it.”

Sylvain chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah right, Fe. She said you were even worse than her father.” In a high-pitched voice that sounded nothing like Byleth, he repeated what she had said as he walked her to her room a few hours ago. “He’s worse than Jeralt! At least Jeralt knows I can take care of myself.” He tripped on a stair on their way up and his knee landed hard. “Damn it.” He rubbed at it to try and take the sting away.

“You are both idiots then.”

Something hot and angry bubbled in his stomach. Poison dripped from every word as he muttered, “Whatever, Fe. You love her, just tell her. Put us all out of our misery.”

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms, turning away slightly. “I’ve already told you. I swore off love and romance a long time ago. I don’t love her.”

“Uh huh… and you being all worried about her today?”

Felix’s eyes narrowed and a slender finger jabbed painfully into his chest. “And you hanging all over her as soon as it was done with that pathetic look on your face?” He sneered and his voice was icy as he said, “You think I’m in love with her? I’ll never look as pathetic as you did today. Scratch that, I’ll never look as pathetic as you ALWAYS do when it comes to her.” 

He stomped down the hall toward his room and Sylvain chased after him. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?!”

Felix slammed his door behind him and Sylvain stared at it for a long time, mouth agape and fingers tangled in his own hair. A door opened next door and Claude poked out his head. “Trouble in paradise?”

Sylvain blinked, once and then twice, before he turned on his grin and sauntered over to lean in his doorway. “What are you talking about, Your Royalness?” 

Claude chuckled and leaned against the doorway, getting really close to him. “You and Felix. Trouble in paradise?”

Sylvain chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. “You know how he can be…”

Claude smirked and stretched his arms above his head. “That I do. I’m not sure how Teach handles it, honestly. There’s only so much hot and cold you can take before it drives you crazy. She’s got the patience of a saint. I guess you do, too.”

Sylvain’s mouth went dry and he cleared his throat. “Mhmmm… yeah.”

“You alright there, buddy?” Claude’s head tipped to the side slightly, his braid brushing his shoulder as he did. “You don’t look so hot.”

“Just… drank too much.” He pushed his arm against the doorjamb and straightened. “I’m gonna head to bed. Sorry we bothered you.”

Claude winked and said, “Bother me anytime.” The click of the door as he shut it seemed to echo through the hallway as Sylvain moved back toward his room.

Sylvain plopped facedown into his bed with a groan. _“There’s only so much hot and cold you can take before it drives you crazy.”_ He flipped onto his side and stared at the wall, reaching out a hand to feel cool of it against his skin. _Felix has been like that for a long time… hot and then cold._ He sighed and reached out and pulled his pillow to his face. _I’m really going to hate myself for drinking this much, tomorrow._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Felix is SUSPICIOUS.
> 
> Also some more drunk Sylvain, because Sylvain struggles with feelings just as much as Byleth and Felix do... even if it's all in different ways.


	42. Chapter 42

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Remire Village time...

~Byleth~

She was sitting with Caspar and Linhardt for lunch. She had caught and prepared a fish dish for them, trying to make them feel comfortable so she could get to know them better. They had been in class with them for almost four weeks now. She had done a lot of extra training with Caspar. He had never stopped begging after the “missed monster fight”. And she had worked out a system with Linhardt so he could attend less lecture time, but be more focused when he was awake. They seemed to be acclimating well, but she wanted to be sure they felt like they could trust her. She was worried that they might feel too separate from her Lions.

Caspar was telling them a story about the latest fight he had gotten into as Linhardt dozed against her arm on the table, when Jeralt walked up to them. His voice was ragged and stressed as he said, “We’ve gotta go, now.”

Linhardt’s head popped up and Caspar swallowed heavily across from her. “What’s going on, Jeralt?” She stood quickly and followed him as he turned away. She heard the other two trailing behind her.

“The situation in Remire Village has changed drastically. We don’t know much more than that. We’re hearing reports that the villagers are killing each other. Some say houses are burning. Regardless, we need to move.”

She turned quickly to Caspar and Linhardt. “Run and get your classmates. Everyone needs to be prepared for battle.” Both nodded solemnly and ran off, even Linhardt was walking quicker than normal. Soon everyone was prepared and they set off with the knights and some of her father’s men who had heard about Remire and wanted to help.

  
When they approached Remire, they could hear the screaming from several hundred yards away. Half of the town was on fire as some of the villagers ran around, crazed and bloodthirsty. Innocent men, women, and children shouted for help as they huddled in corners, too scared to attempt to flee. 

“Kill! Kill! Ahhhhhh!” One man ran screaming after a woman carrying a baby as she was fleeing the village. Byleth leapt down from her horse and sprinted over to place herself between the infected villager and the mother with her child. She could see Mercedes and one of the members of the healing battalion grab her and lead her away as she pointed the Sword of the Creator at the crazed man.

His eyes had lost their color, all she saw was a barely visible pupil and veins that seemed to protrude from his face. Spit streamed from his mouth and he had splatters of blood on his face and clothes. In his hand he held a woodcutter’s axe, which he stumbled forward and swung at her. “Kill! Kill! Kill!” 

She disarmed him easily, and quickly held his arms behind his back. But he quickly started flailing around, seemingly trying to hit her with anything he could. His head connected against the bridge of her nose and she cursed as her students and Jeralt stepped forward cautiously.

“What’s going on here?” Jeralt’s eyes were wide and his face pale as they all stared at the man. She kicked out the back of the crazed villager’s knees and pinned him to the ground face down. She pulled one hand free, and with the hilt of her dagger, knocked him out cold. 

“I need rope!” She could taste the iron of her blood in her mouth as Ingrid ran back to her saddle and handed her some. She bound the man’s wrists and ankles before moving away from him.

Dimitri bent over and groaned in pain, and she rushed to his side. She whispered, “Dima?” and placed a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off with a growl. “Dima, are you okay?”

His eyes widened as he stared at her. “I… Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Don’t waste your time on me. Saving the villagers is far more important. We haven’t a moment to lose!”

“What can we do amidst such confusion?” Dedue’s eyes were wide as he stared into the chaos.

Felix had a hand on the hilt of his sword, his knuckles were white with the tightness of his grip. “We’ll have to take up arms against the villagers who are rampaging. If we strike carefully, it should be possible to save their lives.”

The man she had bound on the floor started flailing on the ground, screaming “Kill! Kill! Kill!” and flopping toward them. Jeralt pulled out his lance and stabbed him through, a look of sorrow on his face. Linhardt groaned weakly and turned away.

“We can’t risk it. If they get back up…” She glanced at the man and then back to her students. “Sylvain and Ingrid, I want you scouting ahead. Find the villagers who aren’t affected. Take out anyone infected who gets too close before the others can get there. Dimitri, you’re going to be on foot. You are staying with me.”

Something dark passed over Dimitri’s eyes and Felix grimaced in the corner of her eye. She repeated herself, wanting to make sure he understood. “Dima. You are staying with me.” He nodded and looked away from her.

“But Professor, those who have gone mad may be victims themselves. Isn’t it possible to save them?” Ashe’s eyes were wide and hopeful as he latched onto her arm.

She grimaced and looked down at the now dead crazed villager. “I can’t risk your lives and the lives of the unaffected villagers. We don’t have the manpower to watch all of them.”

Annette clenched her fists and glared into the village. “Well, saving the poor people who aren’t crazy is definitely our priority! Let’s get on with it!”

Sylvain walked over and wrapped an arm around her. “Slow down, Annette. It won’t do anyone any good if we panic and get injured ourselves. We have to be careful.”

Dedue turned suddenly and whispered, “Isn’t that…” He turned to Dimitri and raised his voice. “Your Highness. Suspicious figures spotted in the village. They seem to be… watching the chaos.”

Dimitri let out an animalistic growl that had the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. “Are they the ones responsible for this madness? If so… it’s clear what must be done. Kill them all. Don’t let a single one escape. Sever their limbs and crush their wicked skulls!” He sprinted off into the village in the direction of the black cloaked figures in bird shaped masks. 

“Mercenaries! Keep the students safe!” She heard affirmation from her father’s men, and then sprinted after the blonde-haired prince. “DIMA!” 

She heard her name shouted behind her, but she didn’t turn back. She had to get to Dimitri, she had to keep him safe. She trusted their men to look after the students… even if they couldn’t turn back time to save them. _I can’t think of that right now. Dima’s not himself… this must be the darkness I saw. I had no idea it would be this bad._

**“This is what Felix was speaking of… I must say… it is terrifying…”**

_“Sothis… I have to focus…”_ She ran around a corner and gasped as Dimitri pounded an infected villager into the wall of a house so hard it crumbled inward. The infected man’s head lolled to the side as he slammed him again.

“DIMA!” The prince was unresponsive. A crazed woman with a kitchen knife ran up behind him and brought her arm back to stab him through. She unleashed the Sword of the Creator and the woman crumbled, the knife falling from her hand. “Dima! You have to pay attention!” She grabbed his arm and he pushed her, hard, into the ground. 

His eyes were dazed as he looked down to her before running off again in the direction of the fire. “Byleth!” Felix crouched at her side. “Are you hurt?”

“He’s… he’s….”

“The boar.” Felix was pale, his eyes narrowed with a fire she hadn’t seen in him before. _I’m so sorry, Felix._

She jumped to her feet and looked around frantically. She spotted the blonde-haired prince weaving between houses, cutting down crazed villager mercilessly as he went. “Stay with the others. I have to get him out of here.” She ran off and she heard Felix’s steps behind her.

“Fe! Stay with the others. I can’t watch out for both of you.”

“I’m watching out for you! Just GO!” She groaned and sprinted through the burning buildings. 

Her eyes were watering and her lungs burned as she inhaled smoke. Felix grabbed her arm and motioned to a house that was burning to their right. Then she heard it, a weak cough and a call for help. She nodded and they ran in. A woman and man were dead on the floor, blood pooled beneath them, and a crying child huddled in the corner.

“Help! He attacked mommy…” The child’s eyes were wide and tears ran down his little face. He sat in the corner with his knees too his chest, too scared to move even as the walls started burning around them.

“Felix!” 

“I’ve got him.” He ran forward and scooped up the scared child. They ran outside, getting the child clear of the flames.

“I have to find Dimitri.” 

Felix’s jaw clenched and he stepped closer to her, staring into her eyes. “I’m getting this kid out of here, and then I’m going to find you. I'm not leaving you alone with the boar.” 

_I’m so sorry, Felix…_ “Please, be safe.” He nodded grimly and ran away, the child still crying in his arms.

She heard Emery roar somewhere above her and she whistled. Emery flew through the smoke and landed in front of her. “Have you seen Dimitri?” 

Sylvain shook his head. “It’s hard to see much of anything through the smoke. The cloaked men are in the center of the village that way.” He pointed to northwest. “That seemed to be what set His Highness off. I’ll come find you if I see him.”

She nodded and ran off, hearing the wing beats as Emery took to the sky behind her. She searched frantically for any sign of the prince. She heard a scream and ran in that direction, rounding a corner to find a group of unaffected villagers cowering as Dimitri snapped the neck of a man with a pitchfork. She could only hope he was an infected villager. It was impossible to know if Dimitri could tell the difference in this state.

“Dima!” His head turned to her, before throwing the man to the ground with an animalistic growl. She turned to the unaffected villagers. “We have to get you all out of here.” She glanced around, but didn’t see anyone. She whistled as loud as she could. Emery roared above her. “Sylvain! Lead them out of here!” Sylvain took one glance at Dimitri, before nodding and shouting instructions to the saved villagers.

Dimitri looked up at the wyvern and his childhood friend with dazed eyes. Soon he turned and took off in the direction of the center of the village. She sprinted along behind him, trying to keep up. An infected villager leapt from a rooftop, stabbing into Dimitri with a kitchen knife. Blood seeped into the ground as Dimitri’s blue eyes stared into nothing. She shuddered and wrapped her arms around her torso. 

Time froze and she watched as the crazed villager returned to his position on the roof. When time resumed, she sprinted forward and barreled into Dimitri. She hurled both of them forward fast enough to get out of the way. She turned back and with one swipe of her blade, the villager was dead. 

Dimitri didn’t even stop long enough to notice she had just saved his life. He weaved through a small grove of trees that stood between them, toward the men in black cloaks with bird masks. They stood on a hill in the center of town, looking down on everyone. She pushed her legs to run as fast as they could, trying to keep up with Dimitri. She hesitated when he froze at the edge of the tree line.

“TOMAS! What are you doing here?” Her blood ran cold as she walked to take her place at his side.

“I’m not Tomas. My name is Solon, the savior of all!” Black smoke and light shrouded him and she heard a gasp behind her. She turned back to find Linhardt, Caspar, and Felix. They had found them and walked up to stand just behind her. When she turned back, Tomas was no longer there. The man, Solon, had a head that was larger than she had ever seen, the top of his head seemed to protrude farther than what was normal. One of his eyes was completely black, with a white pupil. His face was sickly pale, like he had never seen the sun.

“What’s the matter? So shocked you can’t even speak? You were so easily fooled by my disguise… I was hiding away in Garreg Mach to get the blood of that little girl called Flayn.” 

Her fists clenched and she growled. A burning rage soared through her and Sothis yelled, **“BYLETH! You must not give in to rage. Your students need you.”**

_“He’s responsible for Flayn’s kidnapping. He’s responsible for all of this death and destruction!”_

“With her blood, we’ll be one step closer to realizing our goal.”

She ran forward, sword raised. “And what is your goal?!” She ran up the steps, and in flashes of pink light four more mages in dark robes appeared before her. Armored soldiers seemed to appear out of nowhere as she struggled to fight them off. There were too many of them with the new reinforcements. She heard the grunts of her students, and the screams of the mages as Dimitri ripped through them with no remorse.

She heard her father scream, “Kid! It’s the Death Knight!” She cut down one of the mages and turned her head. Her father and three of the knights were rushing the Death Knight, his scythe glowed purple as he swung at her father. Soldiers on horseback flanked the Death Knight on either side.

She heard the sound of metal crashing against something in front of her and Felix growled, “Pay attention!” The Aegis shield glowed as it blocked a hand axe that had been flung at her. She shook her head and took a deep breath before charging at the nearest armored soldier. She fired off a thunder spell that struck him in the chest, and the electricity fried the man in his armor. His screams of pain were ended as she cut into his breastplate with the Sword of the Creator.

While she helped her students took care of the other enemy soldiers, she yelled at Tomas. “Why have you gone after this village?! What are you planning?!”

When she glanced over, he was watching her. “Heh, I could have conducted this experiment on any test subjects.” Black and purplish light shown at his fingertips as he raised it toward her. She cut down another mage and prepared to jump out of the way, but Felix pushed her aside with the Aegis shield held high. From her place on the ground, she saw the magic as it seemed to spring up from the ground and hit Felix as he yelled out in pain.

“FE!”

He glared over at her, clutching his side. “I’m fine! Get the bastard!” She jumped up and charged forward, the Sword of the Creator forming a whip.

“Now that I have what I came for, I must bid you farewell.” Just as her sword was about to hit him, that damned pink light surrounded him and he was gone.

“YOU LET HIM GET AWAY!” Dimitri barreled through, eyes wide and fists clenched in rage.

She turned to him, fear and anger twisted in her gut. “Dima!” He was pacing, clenching and unclenching his fists. She ran up to his and with a firm grip on both of his arms, shook him. “Dima!” His eyes widened and he stared down at her.

“Professor?”

“Dima, you have to stop.” He shook his head and his eyes cleared. “Where do you think you are, Dima?” His mouth opened and shut as he blinked. 

“Remire… Remire Village.” 

“Good.” She glanced around, and saw Dedue running up the steps. “Dedue, watch him. I need to check on everyone else.” Dedue bowed and walked to Dimitri’s side.

“Professor, I… will survey the village. There may still be some survivors.”

“You will stay RIGHT HERE. That’s an order.” Her eyes narrowed as she stared at him. He paled and looked away, his face full of shame as he nodded his head. She wanted to take the time to check in with him and make sure he was okay, but she had been separated from everyone for too long. _If anyone died…_ She shuddered. 

She took in her surroundings. Felix sat on the ground beside Linhardt and Caspar. Felix looked tired and bruised, but otherwise fine. Dedue took Dimitri away from the others and they were whispering back and forth. Mercedes, Flayn, and Annette had a group of her father’s men near them and were walking toward the stairs. They looked frightened, but otherwise okay. 

She looked to the skies, trying to find Ingrid and Sylvain. Maybe they are with the healthy villagers in front of the villagers. _Please… be with the villagers._ She looked in the direction that the Death Knight had been, her father was still on his horse rushing toward her. Ashe was running along behind him.

Her father dismounted when he reached her. “The Death Knight got away.”

She clenched her fists, “So did Tomas… or Solon. Whatever the hell his name was.”

“Hey…” he put a hand on her shoulder “…it looks like we somehow managed to sort things out. And casualties were…” he glanced around at the fire and debris around them, bodies scattered around “…kept to a minimum.” 

Anger was still coursing through her in a way that almost scared her. She had never felt it this much, not even with Miklan. Her emotions were becoming stronger, at a rate she couldn’t hope to control. 

“They said they weren’t picky about who they used as their “test subjects”. Because of them… the people of Remire Village…”

“I know, Kid.”

“PROFESSOR!” She whipped her head around and saw Mercedes and Linhardt hovering over Felix, who was laid out on the ground.

She ran toward him, pulse racing. “What happened? He was fine a second ago!”

Linhardt’s hands glowed with faith magic and he stared at Felix as he called, “He just fell over.” He turned toward her, his face pale. “This is dark magic, really dark. I can’t treat this.” 

Mercedes nodded solemnly, “He’s developed a fever. His skin is clammy.”

She moved to Felix’s side and Linhardt moved out of the way. “Fe… Fe can you hear me?” Felix was unresponsive as she touched his face. She remembered him clutching his side, and she moved to unbuckle his armor. She pulled out her dagger and tore off his tunic. A large splotch of dark purple with lines branching out of it contrasted against his pale skin.

“Oh goddess…” Mercedes put a hand over her mouth. Linhardt paled and looked away.

If Linhardt and Mercedes, her two best healing mages, couldn’t do anything… she wouldn’t be able to do anything. Felix was pale and shivering in her lap. “We have to get him back to the monastery! Get the others and…”

“There you are.” A distorted voice sounded off behind her. She turned her head and the Flame Emperor stood before her. She stood in front of Felix and dropped into a defensive stance.

“That armor. So, you’re the Flame Emperor.” Her father’s voice was a growl as he stepped forward, lance raised.

“Yes. I believe you have met my subordinate, the Death Knight.” 

The Flame Emperor sounded smug and Jeralt growled, “He just killed some of my best men, the BASTARD.”

“You’re the one responsible for the destruction of this village!” She raised her sword and stepped toward the Flame Emperor.

“Do not get the wrong idea.”

Her father’s voice was somewhere behind her. “What in the blazes does that mean?”

“It is true that I am working with Solon. But that does not mean our objectives are the same. Had I known they planned to do this, I would have stopped it. You have my word.”

“Your word means NOTHING!” She shook her head and the Sword of the Creator unfurled into a whip.

“If you wish to join forces, I will hear your plea.”

“I would never join forces with someone who associates with people who would do this!” She swung the whip at the Flame Emperor, and they blocked it with their shield.

“If left to their own devices, they will commit countless more violent acts like this one. Do you wish to prevent that? With the Sword of the Creator on our side, Solon would not be a threat…”

Her voice came out as more of a growl as she yelled, “I’ll use the Sword of the Creator to kill you, and then I’ll kill Solon.” 

She charged forward and moved to strike as they said, “Pity. Though not unexpected. Pray that you do not live to regret your choice.” 

“Professor! I can’t find His Highness!” Dedue’s voice sounded out behind her.

Her swing met no resistance as pink light surrounded the Flame Emperor and he warped away. “Damn it!” 

“He’s gone…” Jeralt shook his head and threw down his lance. 

She sheathed the Sword of the Creator and ran to Dedue. “Where is he?”

“Professor?” Dimitri’s voice called out from a few yards away. “I found another survivor!”

She ran a hand through her hair and blew out a heavy exhale. “Watch him, please. Don’t leave him alone again. Who knows if something else will set him off.” Dedue nodded and walked toward Dimitri. She ran over to Felix and threw her coat over him before kneeling down to pick him up. “Jeralt, I have to get him out of here! Now!” 

Jeralt’s eyebrows furrowed with worry. “Take him back to the monastery, Kid. The knights and I will get the rest of your class and the villagers there after we search for survivors.”

With Felix in her arms, she ran toward the front of the village. Sylvain and Ingrid had their mounts with a group of unharmed villagers, but she couldn’t take in any of their faces. All her mind could process was Felix, and the heat of his skin. 

“SYLVAIN!” Her voice cracked as she yelled. Sylvain’s head whipped around and he paled as he saw Felix in her arms. “Help me get him in Emery’s saddle. I’ll fly him back to the monastery while you guys travel with the knights and the rest of the villagers.” 

Sylvain nodded and took Felix from her so she could climb into the saddle. She reached down and helped him lift Felix to sit in front of her, she wrapped one arm around him, as the other took the reins. “Easy, Emery. Get us home.” Emery took off, slowly flying in the direction of the monastery. 

Felix’s head rested against hers and she could feel the heat of his skin and his shallow breathing on her neck. “I shouldn’t have trusted you were alright. I should have checked on you.” Her eyesight blurred as tears built up but wouldn’t seem to fall. She clutched him tighter and tightened her knees against Emery to make her fly faster. “Stay with me.”

  
She landed Emery by the marketplace of the monastery, screaming out for help. The gatekeeper ran toward her and was able to help her get Felix off of Emery’s back as a crowd slowly formed around them. Claude appeared out of nowhere and offered to take Emery back to the aviary. She managed to mumble a thank you before running toward the infirmary with Felix in her arms. 

She burst through the door. “Manuela!” The professor wasn’t in the infirmary. “Manuela!” She laid Felix out on a bed and worked on getting the mangled pieces of his tunic and armor off. He grumbled something she couldn’t understand and she leaned closer. “Fe? Fe did you say something?”

Seteth ran into the room and glanced down at the wound on Felix’s side. “Goddess… I’ll get Lady Rhea.” He took off in the direction of the Audience Chamber as she clutched Felix’s hand.

“Fe? Fe can you hear me?” His eyebrow furrowed before becoming relaxed again. She ran to the side of the room and wet a towel to place on his forehead. She shut her eyes and called on her faith magic, placing her hands on his side. It drained so much energy to try and heal the damage, sweat formed on her brow as she tried to concentrate.

“Byleth?” She opened her eyes and turned to the Archbishop in the doorway. “What happened?”

“Tomas was in Remire Village. He changed his appearance, called himself Solon. He struck Felix with dark magic.” She stepped aside and Rhea gasped at the purple splotch, the lines seemed to stretch further out than they were before.

“It’s alright child, let me care for him.” The Archbishop sat where she had been and she pressed her hands into his side. After several minutes of Byleth pacing on the other side of the room, Rhea finally stood. “He’ll be alright. He’ll probably sleep for a while longer, his body is fighting off the affects of the magic. It’s acting as a sort of poison, that’s why he has the fever. I’ve healed all I can, the rest must be burned out by the fever.” 

“I’ll stay with him. I have to make sure he’s alright.”

Rhea smiled sadly and motioned to Seteth to close the door. “I would like to hear your report on everything that happened.”

She walked over and pulled a chair up to sit at the side of Felix’s bed. “We arrived and the village was on fire. Some of the villagers had gone completely mad, they were slaughtering anyone they saw, using anything they could. They couldn’t be stopped with non-lethal force.” Rhea glanced at Seteth before looking back to her.

“We noticed people standing on a hill in the center of the village. They were watching everything that happened. When we went to take them down, Prince Dimitri realized it was Tomas. His appearance changed and he said he was actually Solon. He said he was the savior of all or something. He said he used Flayn’s blood and he didn’t care what test subjects he used, he got the results he wanted.”

Rhea and Seteth both paled and glanced at each other. “The Death Knight showed up in the middle of all of the chaos, Jeralt said he took out a lot of the knights, but I don’t know how many. The Flame Emperor showed up after Solon warped away. They said they weren’t responsible, but that they worked with Solon. They tried to recruit me to their side. They wanted the power of the Sword of the Creator. I tried to cut them down, but they warped away.” 

She tried to even out her breathing, the stress of the battle and the fear she felt for Felix was proving too much for her. “I had to fly Felix here, the rest of my class is traveling here with the knights and the remaining villagers. The entire village is ash now.” She fisted her hands in the sheets next to Felix, staring at his face.

“You did as well as you could, under the circumstances, Professor.” Seteth spoke softly from near the door.

Lady Rhea nodded and stepped forward to place a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sure the goddess shares in our grief at the senselessness of the calamity. I am shocked to hear that Tomas is actually a dark mage. I must reflect on our blindness.”

 **“You surely must! You failed to notice that a rat was hiding in your home. Pathetic!”** Sothis was fuming in the back of her mind. Byleth’s knuckles were white, twisted in the sheets. **“Who are these wicked foes? How did Tomas escape your gaze?”**

“Who are these monsters?”

Seteth crossed his arms and put a hand to his chin. “Tomas came to the monastery forty years ago, by recommendation of the House Ordelia of the Alliance. Around eight years ago, he went back to House Ordelia, before returning to the monastery once again just last year. After having worked at the monastery for decades, why would he betray us now? Just what did he hope to accomplish?” He hummed slightly and continued. “Jeritza became a professor at the Officer’s Academy because of a recommendation from the Imperial nobility. Supposing that he is the Death Knight, that means our enemy is an organization that has taken root in at least two territories.”

She turned her head back to look at Felix and mumbled, “You were too busy being suspicious of me to notice two rats under your roof.”

Rhea sighed and said, “In the long history of the Church of Seiros… No, long before even that… There have been an endless number of threats to the peace of Fodlan. Yet those who oppose us still operate in the shadows, their identities a mystery. I believe that Solon and the Death Knight are just one part of a much larger whole.”

“A threat to Fodlan’s peace? That means we have no choice. We have to stop them all!”

She turned to Rhea with narrowed eyes. “They must be stopped. Even if I have to do it myself.”

Rhea smiled down at her. “I have truly come to rely on you. I believe the monastery will remain safe, so long as we have you. We do not yet know the enemy’s objective, or their whereabouts. For now, please devote yourself to preparing for whatever comes next.”

Seteth cleared his throat. “I must go and prepare for the arrival of the rest of your class and the villagers that survived.” The latch of the door clicked behind him.

Rhea placed a hand on her shoulder and said, “I know there is much that you still do not understand. However, one thing is clear. You possess great power. I believe that you are destined to be a source of great hope for all. In any case, I expect great things from you. Walk this world proudly, my dear Byleth.” She took her hand off of Byleth’s shoulder and crossed it over her chest in a bow. “May the Goddess Sothis protect you.”

Byleth’s eyes widened and her shoulders tensed. She could hear Sothis’ shock in the back of her mind. **“The goddess Sothis? Is that what she just said?!”**  
Rhea’s smiled coyly and asked, “Is something the matter?”

_“Oh… it’s nothing.”_

Rhea frowned and looked toward the door. “I see. In that case, farewell.” She walked out the door and Byleth exhaled heavily when the door shut behind her.

Sothis appeared before her, eyes wide and face pale. **“She… I… What exactly am I?!”**

_“Are you… the goddess? Is that even possible? How and why would you be connected to me if you are the goddess of Fodlan?”_

Sothis paced in the air. **“I do not know. I am Sothis, I am also called the Beginning…”** She leaned her face onto her hand. **“This is all so very frustrating.”**

Byleth reached out to press the back of her hand to Felix’s forehead. He was still hot with fever. She took off the old towel she had placed and walked over to wet a fresh one. She drew out her faith magic and pressed her hands to each side of his head, hoping to bring him some relief. The little crease in his brow relaxed and he sighed lightly, before relaxing further into the pillows.

**“I am sorry about your friend. I know how you care for him.”**

A lump formed in her throat. _“I should have checked on him. I know he isn’t the type to let me know he’s hurt. I was so busy worrying about everyone else that…”_ She leaned forward and put her face down into the sheets beside Felix’s torso. _“This is all my fault. He pushed me out of the way. It should have been me.”_

Sothis floated over and placed a hand on her cheek, though she could not feel it. **“It is not your fault, dear one. He was trying to protect you.”**

_“Not at the cost of himself!”_

Sothis smiled sadly. **“I’m sure he would wish the same of you.”** Byleth sighed and sat up. She reached a shaky hand forward and undid Felix’s bun, combing her hands lightly through his hair until it rested neatly on the pillow. She reached down and pulled the sheet up, checking the spot where he had been hit one last time before covering it.

 _“He’ll have a scar. He’ll always have to remember today.”_

**“His childhood friend became the beast he fears so much, I’m sure he would have remembered either way.”**

Byleth grabbed Felix’s hand and bowed her head to it. _“Oh goddess… Dimitri. What am I going to do about Dimitri?”_

**“There is nothing you can do right now. For now, you should try to get some rest.”**

Byleth squeezed Felix’s hand lightly and turned her head so it laid beside his hand. All of the emotions and fighting, paired with the use of the Divine Pulse left her with only fatigue. _“Just a short rest… then I need to check on the others when they get back.”_

  
~Sylvain~

It was really late when they finally got back to the monastery. As soon as he dropped off Byleth’s horse at the stables, Sylvain sprinted off to the infirmary. People tried to stop him and ask him about what happened, but he brushed them off. He took the stairs to the second floor two at a time and came to a stop outside the infirmary door. It was completely dark inside, so he carefully pushed the door open.

The moonlight filtered in through the stained-glass window, landing on Felix laying in the bed. The sheet stopped at his hips, and even in the faint light he could see a purpleish scar with lines that splintered out of it. Byleth was sitting on a chair, her head resting on the bed beside Felix, clutching his hand in her sleep.

Something twisted in his stomach as he quietly walked over to the bed. He quietly picked up a chair and set it on the other side of Felix’s bed, trying not to wake either of them. When he set it down, Byleth stirred. Her head popped up and she slowly blinked the sleep from her eyes. “Syl?”

He tried to smile at her. “Hey, By.”

She stood quickly and started panicking. “When did you get back? Is everyone okay?”

He walked around the bed and rubbed his hands over her arms, trying to calm her down. “Everyone is fine. When I left, Seteth was getting the remaining villagers into rooms and everyone else was heading to the bath house. You don’t need to do anything right now.” She glanced past him at the door like she still felt guilty. “How’s Fe?”

The look of guilt and pain on her face felt like a knife to the gut as her face crumpled. “It’s all my fault. He pushed me out of the way. I saw him get hit… but he said it was fine. I shouldn’t have listened. I should have checked on him. I was so busy checking on everyone else that…”

He pulled her into his chest and she clung to his shirt as he held her. “Shhhh… it’s alright.” He glanced down at Felix, his brow was furrowed and there was a sheen of sweat on his brow. His raven hair settled on the pillow around his head, contrasting against the pale skin of his face and chest. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. I’m sure he’s glad it was him and not you.”

“Goddess Syl, I’ve never been so angry or scared in my life. Is this what it’s like to have emotions?” She pulled her head from his chest and stared up at him. “If it is… I don’t think I want them.”

He chuckled softly and reached up to brush some of the dirt off of her cheek. “I know, the negative feelings… they aren’t very fun. But what about the good ones? The ones that made you smile and laugh? Don’t you want those ones?” 

She leaned her face slightly into his fingers and he cupped her cheek. “I…” She looked down at the floor between them. “I guess so.” She pulled away and turned to look at Felix. “But today… today…”

A lump formed in his throat and he stepped forward to wrap his arms around her from behind. “I know. Today was awful.”

She clutched at his arm as they both stared down at Felix. “How’s Dimitri?” It was barely a whisper and her voice shook as she said it. She sounded scared, and he couldn’t blame her. Seeing him like that… it had been terrifying, and he had only seen a little bit. She had followed him the whole time.

“He seems a little better. Dedue was watching over him, trying to get him to go to sleep.” Byleth tensed like she was going to pull away, and he squeezed her lightly. “Leave it be for now, By. You need rest.”

She sighed and leaned her head back against him. “You do too, ya know.”

“I’ll watch over him with you.” He pulled his arms away from her and walked over to the chair he had put on the other side of the bed. He brought it over and set it next to hers, patting hers as he sat down. 

She gave him a sad smile and sat down, folding over to rest her head on the mattress as she was before. “Thank you, Sylvain.”

He tried to smile and grabbed her hand that was sitting in her lap. “Don’t mention it.” She yawned and squeezed his hand lightly before closing her eyes. He folded his free arm on the bed and rested his head on it. The fatigue and worry of the day washed over him like a wave and he shut his eyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... you got through it. Congrats!
> 
> We'll check in on everybody in the next chapter. I'll post it tomorrow afternoon.


	43. Chapter 43

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Jeralt voice actor serious voice* "The Repercussions of Remire*
> 
> Take care of your mental health, folks.

~Felix~

_Everything was burning around him as he ran. Screams of terror echoed through the air as he frantically took in his surroundings. **Where is she?**_

_He rounded a corner and a man ran at him with a kitchen knife screaming, “Kill! Kill! Kill!” He winced as he cut him down. He had to find her, he couldn’t fall here. As he was running, the heat got more and more intense. His legs grew heavier and heavier, sweat coated his skin as he fought to keep moving. His lungs heaved with every breath._

_He entered a grove of trees and a haunting laugh echoed throughout. **“You won’t find her. You aren’t fast enough.”** He growled in frustration and tried to put on a burst of speed, but his legs started to sink into the earth. **“I told you!”** The voice echoed through his skull as he gritted his teeth. He tried to keep moving, using his arms to crawl across the ground._

_He saw a blur of black and blue. **“By!”** He called her name, raising his hand like he could reach out and stop her, but she was too far away. **“By!”** She didn’t stop, she kept running to the end of the tree line. He reached back and clawed at the dirt around his feet, finally freeing himself. _

_He ran to the edge of the tree line and froze, his blood running cold. Dima stood at the top of the hill smiling at him. But as he watched Dima grew into the boar, dressed in his Academy Uniform. Byleth ran to him, arms held out for an embrace and the boar plunged a lance into her chest as he laughed maniacally. **“NO!”** Felix fell to his knees, tears streaming down his cheeks._

_The boar heard his scream and pulled the lance from Byleth’s chest with a sickening squelch that forced burning bile up his throat. The boar's face warped before his eyes, fur sprouting across his face and fangs growing as he morphed into a hideous monster. **“You couldn’t protect her. You never could have. You can’t protect anyone. Dima, Glenn, Sylvain...”** the beast cast a glance to Byleth's corpse **"... and now Byleth."** The beast laughed, eyes manic as it stared down at him. _

_**“Just look at yourself…”** he glanced down at his hands as grey fur started to cover them, his fingers morphing into paws as he screamed. The tears kept running down his cheeks, still grieving even in his horror. **“You always were the lone wolf, Fraldarius. How does it feel to be truly alone?”**_

_**“Fe?”** The monster startled as a soft voice called his name. **“Fe? Are you okay?”**_

_He screamed for help, but his body wouldn’t budge as the monster moved toward him. **“If I go down, I’ll take her and everyone else with me.”** The monster smiled, its fangs gleaming in the light as it lunged at his throat._

He woke with a gasp and his vision was hazy. Two people loomed above him, he could see the blue and the red of their hair. “By?” His voice came out as a whiny rasp. “Syl?”

He felt something cool touch his forehead and he sighed. He felt like he was on fire, everything was hot. “It’s so hot…” 

Byleth’s voice was soft, “You have a fever, Fe.” Her hands brushed his cheeks and he leaned into the touch. “Do you feel any pain?”

“I feel hot. Everything is hot.”

Byleth said, “You got hit by some pretty powerful dark magic.” She sounded so sad that it made him frown.

“It’s okay, By. I got you out of the way.”

She smiled but it was a sad smile, not a happy smile. “You called me By.”

She was holding one of his hands and he used it to pull her towards him. She fell forward and her face landed in the crook of his neck. “You’re okay, By…” he sighed and she wrapped an arm around his stomach. Her touch felt cool on his skin. “I just want you to be okay.”

Sylvain stood at the side of the bed, with a sad look on his face. “Syl… why are you sad? By is okay.”

Sylvain chuckled and sat in a chair, that stupid fake grin on his face. “Yeah. She’s just worried about you, Fe. We both are. You have to tell us when you are hurt. You can’t just wait until you pass out from the pain.”

He furrowed his eyebrows and sighed. “Stop making that face. I hate it when you make that face.”

Sylvain smirked and ran a cool cloth on his forehead. “It’s just my face, Fe.”

“Goddess he’s burning up.” Byleth sat up and he tried to pull her back down but it didn’t work. His limbs felt heavy, and he was so TIRED. She stood up and walked away and he couldn’t see where she went.

“By?” 

Sylvain chuckled beside him. “Goddess, Fe…”

The door opened and Dedue walked in. “Professor, I need your help. His Highness won’t rest. He’s in the training ground and he won’t retire to bed, no matter what I say. He might listen to you.” 

Byleth sighed and walked over to hand something to Sylvain. “I’ll go in a moment. Felix has a fever, and it won’t go down. I’ll heal him and then go and talk to Dimitri.” Dedue bowed and walked out the door.

She walked over and put her hands on his head and he reached up and grabbed her wrists. “You can’t go. It’s not Dima!”

She frowned and looked down at him. “You’ve already told me that, Fe… but he needs help.”

“No!” He pulled her down and she fell into him. “No! He’s gonna hurt you! He’s gonna…”

She pushed up and her face was really close to his. “Felix, I’ll be fine. You don’t need to worry about me. I promise.”

His heart started to pound and he reached his hands up to hold her face close. “No! He said he was going to hurt you. Don’t go. Please!”

Her eyebrows furrowed and she looked worried. “Was that what your nightmare was? Felix, it was just a fever dream. It was just a nightmare.” She reached up and put her hands on the sides of his head again. He felt faith magic rush through him and he sighed as he felt his body start to cool down. His hands dropped back to his sides as he laid back heavily on the soft pillows. 

Sylvain was wiping his chest with a cool cloth. Felix whispered, “Thanks, Syl.” Sylvain nodded and stared as he wiped the cool cloth across his skin.

Byleth turned to look at the door as he started to fall asleep again. “Wait… don’t leave me…” 

The last thing he saw before he fell asleep was a frown on her face as she said, “I’ll come right back, Fe.”

~Byleth~

“Goddess he was out of it.” Sylvain’s voice was thin with worry as he stared at Felix.

“Lady Rhea said his body was going to use the fever to get rid of the dark magic. She said she did all she could. It’s like a poison he has to sweat out.” She looked down at Felix, his face was clammy and flushed with the fever. “I have to go and talk to Dimitri. Do you think you can handle him for a while? It seems like the healing magic helped him get back to sleep.”

Sylvain swallowed heavily and nodded. “Just hurry, okay? I’m not sure how he’ll react if he wakes up and you’re gone. He seemed really worried about you.” He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “That must have been some nightmare… I haven’t seen him cry since we were kids.”

“It’s just the fever.” Sylvain looked unconvinced. “I’ll hurry.” She rushed out the door and down the steps, making her way through the darkness of the monastery. She waved to the knights patrolling the area, and they nodded as they passed.

She pushed open the doors to the training grounds and immediately heard the sound of Dimitri grunting as he viciously attacked the training dummy. There were three dummies that laid destroyed on the ground, and a pile of broken training lances was nearby. _Seteth is going to have my head… and my paycheck._

“Dima? Why are you awake? You need rest.” Dimitri whirled around and froze, the lance in his hand falling to the floor.

“Professor… I… I could not sleep. I’m guessing Dedue asked you to speak with me?” She nodded and he walked toward her and bowed deeply. “I… I’m sorry to inconvenience you. I’m sure you are very concerned about Felix.”

“I am, but I am also concerned about you.”

Dimitri grimaced and looked away. “Yes, I… I’m sorry you had to see that side of me in the village. It must have been quite a shock to you and the others. I’m mortified by my behavior. When I saw the chaos and violence there… my mind just went completely dark.”

She stepped forward and reached a hand up to put it on his cheek, but he flinched away from her. “Dima… you weren’t yourself.”

“You are wrong, Professor.” He shook his head and took a step back. “I told you once that everyone has something unacceptable inside of them. I cannot deny it. I hate that you had to see it, but that is a part of me." He paused, searching her face for something but she did not know what. "I’ve told you before… that someday we may find ourselves facing something we simply cannot accept. That’s what the chaos of Remire was for me.”

A darkness crossed his eyes again as his eyebrows furrowed. “Solon and the Flame Emperor are both beasts who must be eliminated. Demons who killed the innocent. They aren’t even human at this point.”

“Dima…” She stepped forward and took one of his hands in between hers. “… where is all of this anger coming from?”

He turned his face away and his body began to tremble. “I saw the same flames of torment just four years ago… in Duscur. I watched as the knights that had sworn to protect me were cut down. I heard their screams as they burned alive. I listened as my father screamed to avenge him right before he was beheaded right before my eyes. They all screamed for mercy, but they were given no reprieve. They died for nothing, Professor. I alone survived. I carry that day with me always, every minute of every day.”

He bent over and grabbed his head, making grunting noises like he was in pain, before falling to his knees. “Dima?!” She dropped to her knees and put a hand on his chest. “Dima… I’m right here. Stay with me.”

He opened his eyes, and the sorrow there threatened to break her in two. “My father… my step mother… Glenn… four years ago they lost their lives to the flames. I’ll never forget… I still remember their faces. Their screams. The last tortured moments of every person who died that day. They haunt me, Professor.” She pulled him down into a hug and he buried his face in the crook of her neck.

“Oh Dima…” She rubbed his back, not knowing what she could possibly say to make anything better.

“We have to do everything we can to help the surviving villagers get back to their normal lives, Professor.” It was a whisper into her neck as he clung to her. The lump in her throat was making it hard to breathe. _No wonder Remire set him off… He’s in so much pain._

“We will Dima, I promise. I’ll talk to Seteth tomorrow, alright?”

“Thank you, Professor.” After a moment he loosened his grip and sat back on his heels. He looked so tired and weary as he stared at the ground. He stood slowly and walked toward the doors of the training ground. She stood and moved to follow him until he froze and called over his shoulder, “There’s a reason I came to the Officer’s Academy. Just one reason.” She stopped walking and stared at him as he stiffened, his fists clenching so hard his gauntlets began to crack.

His voice was like ice as he said, “I came here for revenge. And one day, I will have it.”

“Dima…” Without a glance he pulled open the doors and left. She stared after him, her pulse deafening in her ears.

**“This is bad…”**

_“Really bad…”_

**“You must get back to Felix. His fever is most concerning.”**

~Sylvain~

After a few minutes of deafening silence, Sylvain paced. _Felix was CRYING…_ It was in his sleep, as he thrashed against a nightmare, but the feeling in Sylvain’s chest was very real.

Felix’s voice was too weak, his emotions too honest in his feverish state. If normal Felix knew he would hate it. It was all too much for Sylvain. He ran his hands through his hair with a groan, sneaking glances at Felix. He was starting to furrow his eyebrows again, and he was making small noises. If he wakes up again and Byleth isn’t here…

_“No! He said he was going to hurt you. Don’t go. Please!”_ The way he whined her name when she walked out of his sight, the way he begged her not to go. _He either loves her, or that was a TERRIBLE NIGHTMARE. Maybe both._

“Goddess… Fe… you’ve got to get better. Like now.”

Felix continued to stir, and Sylvain took some deep breaths. He whispered, “It’s going to be fine. She just has to go and deal with a potentially raging Prince and then she’ll be back. Right?” _If I’m panicking, I can only imagine how she is feeling. How did everything go to shit so quickly?_

Felix sat up with a raspy gasp, hands flailing out at his sides. “By?!”

Sylvain rushed forward, taking one of his hands. “She’ll be right back, Fe. I’m right here to watch you, okay? I’ll look after you.”

Felix’s eyes widened as he stared. “Syl… he’s gonna… it’s the boar… he’s gonna…”

“I know, Fe.”

“Where is she, Syl?”

He rubbed the sweat slicked hair out of Felix’s face. “She’ll be right back, Fe. You need to sleep. You have a fever. Your body is trying to rid itself of the dark magic. You need to rest.”

Felix’s eyes narrowed. “She’s with the boar.”

“She has to help him, Fe. She doesn’t have a…”

He was interrupted when Felix shot forward, trying and failing to get himself out of the bed. “I have to get her, she can’t trust him. He killed her! He killed her, Syl! I have to find her!” 

Byleth rushed in, eyes wide as she took them in. “Thank the goddess…” he whispered as he held Felix down on the bed.

“By! Where the hell did you go?!” Felix’s face was red as he struggled weakly against his hold. 

Her voice was quiet and she was shaking. She was trying to keep her face calm, but something had obviously happened. “I had to go talk to Dimitri. I’m back now, everything is…”

“Of course, you’d choose the boar over me.” Felix flopped back onto the bed, rolling toward him to face away from her. His eyes were glistening as he crossed his arms. It was so… Felix when they were kids. Sylvain felt that tightness in his chest as he stepped back slightly.

“Fe, I didn’t choose anyone over anyone. Sylvain was here to watch you while I went to make sure Dimitri got some rest.” Felix didn’t answer and she sat on the edge of the bed and pushed down lightly on his shoulder, rolling him onto his back. She reached out and put the back of her fingers on his forehead. His eyebrows furrowed at the contact, but he didn’t pull away from her.

“I’m right here, Fe.” She put a hand on each side of his head and used more faith magic to try and bring the fever down. She walked over to the basin of water and wet a rag. She sat on the edge of the bed again and wiped it over his face, neck, and chest, humming that tune he hadn’t heard since his breakdown after he found out about Miklan. Felix’s eyes closed and he let out a sigh. “Go back to sleep, Fe. Sylvain and I are here.”

Once he had relaxed and fallen back asleep, she stood from the edge of the bed and started to pace. He stepped forward hesitantly, not liking the look in her eye. “What’s wrong? Is it His Highness?”

“I think… I think today might be the worst day of my life.” Her shoulders slumped as she fell into a chair at the nearby table.

He walked over and crouched down in front of her. “What’s wrong?” 

“What isn’t wrong? Remire village is ashes now, Felix has a terrible fever, Dimitri is in so much pain from Duscur that he can barely hold onto his sanity, and…” 

She stopped talking and stared down at her hands. Sylvain reached out and took them in his own. “And what?”

“Do you know the goddess’ name?”

_What?_ “It’s Sothis. Why?”

She leaned forward until her head rested on his shoulder. “I was afraid you were going to say that.”

“By… what’s going on? You are kind of freaking me out.”

“I’m so… tired.” Her voice cracked on the last word. She fisted her hands in his tunic and he wrapped his arms around her. “I’m not the right person for this. I can’t help any of you…”

The tightness in his chest shattered. “Shhhh… it’s okay.” He stood slowly and lifted her up, sitting down in the seat she had been sitting in and putting her on his lap. He stroked her hair with one hand, and held her tight with the other arm. “It’s all going to be okay, By. I’m right here.”

Without thinking he kissed her on the top of her head. She pushed back slightly and looked into his eyes. He pulled his hands away, bringing one up to rub the back of his neck. “I’m sorry… that probably wasn’t…” she shook her head and then placed it on his shoulder, her face against his neck. 

“It’s alright. It’s been… a long day.” His heart twisted in his chest. _What am I doing?! Felix is in the bed practically dying and I’m… What am I doing? What? I want her to kiss me while our friend lays there sweating out dark magic? I want her to love me, even though it would probably break Felix?_

_Wait…_

Something in him shattered and he chuckled, but it sounded empty and broken. “Right.” She lifted her head to look at him again, those big indigo eyes staring into his soul in a way he really didn’t like. Out of reflex, he did what he always did. He screwed everything up. 

“At least we know for sure that Felix is in love with you.” He chuckled and it dripped with something ugly and gross inside of him.

She stiffened and then stood. “What are you talking about?”

Now that he had started, it was like he couldn’t stop. All of the negative feelings started to spill into his bloodstream, like a fire in his veins spurning him on. “He was in love with you when we were kids. All of us used to tease him, including his father and Glenn.” Her eyebrows furrowed and she tilted her head to the side. “I had my suspicions when you showed up again, but tonight proves it. Pushing you out of the way, whining for you not to leave him. Poor guy is in love with you.” Something bitter was on his tongue as he looked up at her.

“Why… would he…” 

Sylvain’s laugh was a cruel one. “Half the damned monastery is in love with you, Byleth. He’s just been at it for longer. Too bad he doesn’t know that being mean to the girls he likes doesn’t work. I really should work with him on that.” He winked at her with a nasty grin.

She actually recoiled from him, stepping closer to the bed. “Syl…”

“What? Your pal Syl is here to help!” He stood from his chair and gave a bow. 

She furrowed her brow and put her hands over her chest as she frowned. “Why are you saying this? Why are you acting like this?” The hurt that registered even on her face was becoming too much for him, even in this ugly state. The fire started to burn out, leaving behind guilt and the desire to flee.

“I’m acting like me, Byleth. Sorry, do you not like it? That’s a shame… but I’m past caring at this point.” He turned toward the door and started to walk away.

A hand grabbed his and pulled him back. “Syl… what’s wrong. What did I do?”

He pulled his hand out of hers and in the lowest tone he could muster his growled, “Don’t touch me. I don’t want you to touch me. Never again.”

Her eyes glistened and she shook her head, taking a few steps back. “Okay… I’m sorry… Don't walk away. Tell me what I did!”

Sylvain stomped out the door before he could do something foolish like apologize... or make it worse. _Maybe this is better. Maybe they’ll just… end up together and be happy._ He ran his hands through his hair as tears welled in his eyes. _Felix is going to HATE me… Oh goddess…_

He ran down the steps and walked in the direction of the gates. He kept walking even though it was too dark to see anything since it was too early for the sun to have risen. He had taken off his armor so all he had on was his light tunic and trousers from underneath. The cold kissed his skin as he walked until his legs couldn’t take it anymore. He stumbled into the nearest tree, sliding down and bringing his knees to his chest.

_This is better. They’ll be better off now anyways._ His head fell down to his knees as he wrapped his arms around himself. 

_“What did I tell you?”_ Miklan’s voice rang out in the back of his head. _“It would be better if you weren’t around. They would get to be happy without you ruining everything. Your existence just makes it harder for everyone else.”_

_I’m a monster, just like Miklan. Did it feel good to be cruel to her like that? To tell Felix’s secrets that he doesn’t even want to admit to himself? Felix hates being vulnerable… but I know that. That was the easiest way to hurt them both._

_Stop. Stop. I need it to stop. No more._

The only sound he heard was his breathing and the breeze in the trees. The beginnings of dawn started to light the sky as his eyes closed and he fell into a restless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooohhh... I'm sorry... did we think Sylvain was done with the self-sabotaging? Hahahahhahhahahaha. no.


	44. Chapter 44

~Felix~

Slumber started to fade as he slowly opened his eyes to the infirmary at the monastery. The sun streamed through the window, casting everything in front of it in colored hues. _It must be late afternoon. How long was I out?_ His throat was parched, and he was thoroughly exhausted. His limbs were heavy and everything ached. He tried to reach up a hand to rub down his face, and only then realized that it was weighed down. He tilted his head to the side and his eyes fell on messy blue hair, long lashes and pink parted lips.

Byleth was sitting on a chair beside his bed, folded in half so her head rested just beside his torso. Her hand clutched his in her sleep. Warmth flooded through him, and traveled rapidly to his cheeks and the tips of his ears. He swallowed heavily, wincing at the dry sensation in his throat. She was still in her armor from the battle, dirt and dried blood covered her and she smelled heavily of smoke.

Just as he was about to wake her so she would let go of his rapidly becoming sweatier hand, the door slowly opened. Manuela waltzed in, humming a tune under her breath. His eyes narrowed and he felt his shoulders stiffen. Embarrassment flooded through him, his bare torso with an odd purple scar and his professor/friend passed out next to him holding his hand making him squirm. 

“Oh! I see you are lucid this time. Let's check your temperature.” Her voice was an amused whisper, and panic ripped through him. _Shit… that means I wasn’t at one point… What the hell did I do?_ He moved to wake Byleth, looking for answers, but Manuela lifted a hand and, in a whisper said, “Don’t you dare wake her. She was up all night with you. I found her this morning, an absolute mess. She needs the rest, as do you.”

She walked to the corner and poured a glass of water before slowly walking over. Her steps were surprisingly quiet for the gaudiness that he always associated with her. He was mildly impressed. She handed him the glass, before reaching out her hand and placing the back of it on his forehead.

“Your fever has broken, that’s a good sign.” She hummed slightly and faith magic glowed at her fingertips as she pressed them to the purple scar at his side. “It looks like your body has expelled most of the black magic. You’ll have a scar…” she paused and winked “… but women love a man with a scar.” 

He scoffed and the action caused Byleth to let out a heavy exhale through her nose. They both froze and stared at her, waiting to see if she would wake. She nuzzled her face into the blanket a little more and sighed. Felix bit the inside of his cheek to fight off a smile.

“What do you remember?”

He looked up at the ceiling and searched his memory. “That mage was…” he glanced down at Byleth and cleared his throat. “I was struck by magic. I tried to fight through it, but I think I passed out.” Manuela nodded with sad look in her eye. Images flashed before him as he fought to remember what else had happened last night. He remembered some of his haunting dreams, but had he done or said something stupid? With Byleth around? He vaguely remembered Sylvain being here… _where is he?_

“Was Sylvain here?”

Manuela smirked slightly and turned to walk to her desk. “I’m not sure if he’s been here or not. Is that your beau? Men like scars, too, ya know.”

Warmth flooded his cheeks and he fought off a splutter. “No! He’s not… No.” Manuela giggled and he narrowed his eyes at her. “I think I remember him being here. I was curious.”

Manuela shook her head and waved a hand through the air in an easy manner. “I only arrived this morning. I had quite the date last night with a handsome knight, but it didn’t end well. Seteth woke me, annoyingly early I might add, and filled me in on what had happened.” He scoffed and rolled his eyes. Her eyes narrowed and she said, “Long story short, I haven’t seen him. You can ask Professor Byleth when she wakes. Get some rest now!” She waved goodbye and strode out the door.

Silence filled the room and he fought the urge to look down at Byleth. He stared at the stained-glass windows in the infirmary, examined the pattern on the ceiling above him, inspected the flowers in the vase on the table he could see just above her head. Eventually the temptation was too much and he looked down at her. 

_Way to last thirty seconds, Fraldarius. You’ve got an iron will._ He snorted derisively to himself before reaching out tentatively to move the hair from her face. It made his side ache to move this slow, but he couldn’t risk the mortification of waking her.

He had never been able to study her so closely, not since he was a child anyway. He had appreciated how beautiful she was then, but not nearly enough. Her eyelashes were long, quivering slightly as she dreamed. Her lips parted slightly, her inhales and exhales soft and weirdly relaxing. She looked so peaceful. He had never seen her like this before. Normally she was always so neutral and full of authority. Even with the fact that her emotions were starting to show up more and more he had never seen her at peace before.

She took a deep inhale through her nose and her eyelids fluttered open as her blue eyes met his. Her face split in a soft smile as she sat up quickly. “Fe.” She threw herself onto him, tucking her face into his neck. He slowly reached up and circled her waist, giving one quick squeeze before letting them fall to his sides. “You’re okay.” She trembled a little and he winced.

“I’m fine. I told you that.” 

She pulled away and her eyes were sharp. _Well… that wasn’t the right thing to say…_ “Fraldarius, you have no idea what last night was like for everyone. You shut your damn mouth.” He stiffened and readied a retort, but her face crumbled and he clamped his mouth shut. “You scared the hell out of me, Fe.” Her voice cracked and he looked away.

“Sorry.” 

She sighed and he heard her sit back in the chair. He still couldn’t look at her. He didn’t want to see the worry and the hurt that had been there moments before. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.” He looked back toward her, her voice signaling that she was back to her normal neutrality. He was disappointed and also relieved by the fact that she was. “Last night was… hard.” She gave a firm nod of her head and her lips set into a thin line. Factual and to the point.

“Was Sylvain here? I’m trying to figure out if that was part of my weird dreams or not.” Her face crumpled again in a look of hurt and confusion before she could cover it up again. Panic ripped through him and his voice wavered slightly as he asked, “He’s okay, right? Nothing… happened?”

She shook her head and looked down at her hands, clasped together in her lap. “I’m sure he’s fine. He was here for a while, but then he left.”

He raised an eyebrow in his curiosity, trying to dip his head so he could read her facial expression. “Then… what? Why are you being weird?”

She looked back up at him, face blank, and shrugged. “He probably won’t come by if I’m still here. I can leave and send someone to find him if you’d like?”

He tried to sit up, trying to squeeze his lips shut to cut off the hiss at the pain in his side. He failed and Byleth shot forward to push him back into the bed. “You shouldn’t move. You need more rest.” She walked around the bed to stand on his injured side, faith magic lighting at her fingertips. “It seems better now. It was a lot worse when I brought you here.”

“Don’t change the subject.” His tone was terse and cold and she lowered her head. He sighed and tried to be less… him. “I mean… what happened with Sylvain?”

She glanced up at him and a weird look crossed her eyes. It looked like a mix between curiosity and nervousness mixed with something he couldn’t identify. “It’s between Sylvain and I. Sorry.” She did look remorseful as she said the words, but that only made him stiffen more.

“Did he…” he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists “… did he make another pass at you?” She shook her head and he caught the hurt that flashed through her eyes. “What did the idiot do this time?”

She shook her head and reached up to stroke some hair out of his face. “I’m sorry. It’s between the two of us.” 

He pulled his head away and fought the urge to pout, turning it into a scoff instead. “Fine.” He exhaled heavily and laid back further in the pillows. “You should…” 

A knock sounded at the door and he turned his head to see a smirking Claude von Riegan. “Hey Teach! Am I interrupting? I was hoping I could speak with you.” 

Byleth looked to Felix and raised an eyebrow in question. He scoffed and crossed his arms. “I told you I’m fine. You need to go and get cleaned up, anyway. You look awful.”

She frowned and looked down at her shoes. “Alright. Get some rest. I’ll come to check on you later.” She walked out without another glance. 

Claude raised an eyebrow in question at him, before chuckling quietly and following after her like a puppy dog. He heard him call out, “Teach!” as their steps receded.

He sighed and pulled one of the pillows out from behind him to cover his face with it. He let out a groan of self-pity, or maybe self-hatred, before putting it back and attempting to get comfortable. _Idiot. Manuela said she was in here all night with you and you didn’t even tell her thank you? All you did was interrogate her and tell her she looked awful! Idiot!_

There was no pillow to muffle the sound of his groan of self-hatred this time. It echoed through the room as he stared up at the ceiling. _Idiot._

  
~Byleth~

She couldn’t help storming out of the infirmary. _After all of the worry and stress he’s going to revert to his usual bullshit as soon as his fever breaks?_ She bit back a sigh and rolled her eyes instead. _Sylvain couldn’t possibly…_ she winced slightly and walked slightly faster. _I can’t think about him right now._

“Teach!” Claude called out with a chuckle as he ran after her. “Damn Teach, for being so short you really are fast.” 

She exhaled a small laugh and slowed slightly. “Sorry. It was a long night. I’m still a bit… wound up.” She took a deep breath and then glanced at Claude as he walked beside her. He was watching her carefully, the critical look in his eyes turning to mischief after a moment.

“You weren’t expecting to sit by his bedside all night and only get “you look awful” as a thank you? Can’t say I blame you.”

She fought off a scowl, settling with rolling her eyes again. “Yes, Claude. How did you know? All I care about is Felix’s reaction to me this morning, not Remire Village and its occupants or my students that I haven’t seen since I left on Emery.”

He gave an exaggerated wince and chuckled. She caught the slight nervousness in his features before they settled back to their normal mask. “Sorry, Teach. I guess that was a bit insensitive.”

She nodded once, but waved her hand in a motion of “it doesn’t matter”. “What did you want to talk about?”

He stretched his arms above his head and yawned. “How about we talk in your office, Teach?”

“That’s fine by me.”

They headed down the stairs and Byleth stopped short when she noticed Hubert giving her a wry smirk. “Why Professor, it seems you’ve had another chaotic month.” He chuckled dryly and looked between her and Claude. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve barely had time to catch my breath.”

Claude chuckled and stretched his arms above his head. “Why is that, Hubert? Teach here has been doing all the work.”

Hubert rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “I’m not speaking to you, von Riegan.” Piercing yellowish green eyes stared into hers. “What is the objective and Tomas and his ilk? And what makes Flayn so special—does that not bother you?”

She kept her expression neutral, but had to fight off feelings of surprise. _How do people already know all of this?_ She stared back at Hubert and in her most neutral voice said, “I’m not sure. All I know is that I’m putting a stop to him and this so-called Flame Emperor.”

Hubert smirked as he chuckled derisively. “I’m sure you’ll try. You are the archbishop’s prodigy, are you not?”

She shrugged and backed away slowly, not wanting to turn her back on Hubert. Something about him had her on edge. _“I’m sure you’ll try.”_ was an odd way to phrase it. “Have a good rest of your day, Hubert. Tell Edelgard I say “hi”.”

He hissed, “Lady Edelgard!” before folding his hands behind his back and backing away around the corner.

Claude chuckled and threw an arm across her shoulder as they walked past the courtyard for the classrooms in the direction of her room. “I kind of like watching how much you rile him up.”

She chuckled quietly and poked his side. “It’s pretty easy with him.”

Claude shook his head with a playful smirk. “Nah, Teach. It’s really just you. It’s rather impressive.” They reached her room and as she opened the door a snowy white owl flew in and perched near the bulletin board. She dug into her desk and pulled out a piece of dried meat and held it up for the owl. It took it and set to preening its feathers.

“You and your owl are so weird, Teach.” He watched it carefully and the yellow eyes of the owl seemed to follow him as he went to sit on her bed. She shut the door and pulled the chair from her desk over to sit in front of him.

“So, what did you want to speak with me about?”

Claude sighed and leaned back on his arms, staring at her with a slight tilt of his head. “Was it really Tomas, Teach? I keep hearing the whispers, but I want to hear it from you.”

She nodded as her fists clenched. “It was him. But it was strange, his entire form changed and he called himself Solon. The Flame Emperor and the Death Knight each showed up as well, though the Flame Emperor said he wasn’t involved.”

Claude lifted an eyebrow and sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees. The look of utter curiosity was cute. “What do you mean his form changed? And the Flame Emperor… that’s the guy you told me about after you saved Flayn?”

She sat forward to mirror his position. “I mean exactly that. There was a puff of dark smoke and a flicker of light and where Tomas stood was now a man who called himself Solon. He said he was here in disguise so he could get to Flayn. And yeah, that’s the one. He tried to recruit me to his side, he said he wanted the power of the Sword of the Creator.”

Claude looked off to the side and a she barely saw the flash of guilt before he looked back at her. “I keep thinking about what Hubert said, what do these guys want?”

She shrugged and said, “World domination? Who knows? All I know is we have to stop them.”

Claude threw his head back with a laugh but then became uneasy. “I know I just laughed, but that really isn’t funny, Teach. World domination…” He put a hand to his chin and hummed thoughtfully. “I hate to consider it, but if they can replicate the incident in Remire Village on a larger scale…” He shook his head and gave her a piercing stare “If we’re not careful we could have a full-scale war on our hands. Then world domination wouldn’t be a joke anymore.”

She clenched her fists as a bout of anger coursed through her. “Tomas or Solon, whatever his name is, said that he didn’t care who his test subjects were. He said that they got the results they wanted.”

Claude’s eyes flicked down to his hands and then back up to her. “I just can’t believe it was Tomas. Not that I don’t believe you, Teach. I really do.” He sighed and sat back slightly. “He’s been giving me books from his own collection, things that Seteth was pulling from the shelves. I kinda liked the guy, he was helping me.”

She raised an eyebrow and sat back, her curiosity helping to curb the anger. “What kind of books? And helping you with what?”

Claude rubbed the back of his neck and grinned sheepishly. “Oh, ya know, books about Crests and the Relics. Things about the Sword of the Creator and the Ten Elites. Things about the history of the Church of Seiros that aren’t exactly…”

“Positive?”

Claude chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. “You wouldn’t turn me in for heresy, would you?”

“I wouldn’t.” She shook her head. “It’s not like I’m exactly devout.” _Even though I may or may not have the goddess of Fodlan living in my head._ She faintly heard Sothis scoff.

Claude glanced at the door and reached into his pocket. “Tomas slipped me a book that had this in it.” He carefully unfolded a slip of old parchment and handed it to her. “I’ve been trying to study anything I could on it, but I’ve been wildly unsuccessful.”

She glanced down at the drawing of some sort of… dragon? She held it closer to her face to study it further. As she studied the sketch Claude said, “That creature is called the Immaculate One. She was supposedly sent by the goddess to save the followers of Seiros. See that pattern on its brow, and the faint circular boundary?” His finger hovered over what he was talking about. “Isn’t it possible that’s a Crest Stone?”

She nodded, flashing images of Miklan’s transformation flashing before her mind. “Claude… if I tell you something can you keep it a secret?” She narrowed her eyes and evaluated him closely. His expression was guarded, but that wasn’t unusual. He nodded and leaned forward before that cute look of curiosity was back. “When we went to Conand Tower, the crest stone in the Lance of Ruin turned Miklan, Sylvain’s brother, into a huge black beast.”

His eyebrows shot up to his forehead and his mouth dropped open before he caught himself and schooled his expression. “It what?”

She hummed and nodded her head. “I felt this strange energy emanating from the lance and then black ooze poured out of the Crest Stone. He transformed right in front of us.”

“But you got the Lance of Ruin back, right? Sylvain has it now. So, what happened to the monster?”

She shook her head and tilted her head to her fist. “I don’t have the answer to that. I was unconscious when it died so I’m not sure what happened. When I came to, Miklan's body was on the ground and Sylvain was holding the lance.”

“Riiiight.” He smirked but his eyes were soft. “I was wondering who was strong enough to injure you like that. I guess a Crest stone powered black beast is my answer.”

She nodded and felt a frown pull at her lips. “Right. We weren’t prepared for that. It took a lot to get us all out of there.”

Claude studied her carefully before he tilted his head. “So, the Archbishop covered all of it up. You wouldn’t want everyone knowing that the Relics that everyone in Fodlan is taught to revere have the ability to turn people into beasts.” He put his hands to his chin and glanced down in thought. “Do all of the Crest stones bear that power? What’s to stop you or I from turning into a beast?”

She glanced at the Sword of the Creator in its sheath at her side. “Well mine doesn’t have a Crest stone… so I’m not in any danger of it. I don’t think Crest bearers are affected. Felix and I held the Lance of Ruin and nothing happened.”

Claude hummed in thought. “And you can still use the Sword of the Creator with no Crest stone.” He sighed and flopped back on her bed. He whined, “Teeeach! What have I said about giving me five more questions with every answer you give me?”

She stood and crossed her arms, staring down at him with a smirk. “So, you would rather I didn’t tell you things?”

He shook his head and smiled playfully, still laying across her bed. “You know me, Teach. Always trying to solve every mystery. I can’t help it. You’ll always be my favorite, though.” He winked his exaggerated wink.

“Your favorite?” She felt heat start to rise in her cheeks.

“Yeah! You are my favorite mystery. The powerful, beautiful, enigmatic professor that bears the Crest of Flames and can wield the Sword of the Creator without a Crest stone.”

She felt herself blushing and she turned slightly away. “So, you are only my friend because I’m a mystery? That doesn’t seem… fair.”

Claude raised an eyebrow and stood slowly. “Friend?”

She turned back to him and furrowed her eyebrows. “Yeah. Are you not my friend? I admit I’m new at this but I figured…”

Claude smirked and tugged lightly at her bangs. “Well... twist my arm, Teach.” She batted at his hand. “I guess I can be your friend…” his voice was hesitant as he shrugged “I don’t have many of those.” 

She opened her mouth to question it, but a knock sounded at her door. She walked over to open it and found Cyril. He bowed slightly and said, “Heya, Professor! Lady Rhea wanted to speak with you.” His eyes looked her over and his nose wrinkled. “You might want to get cleaned up first though. Don’t want to meet with Lady Rhea looking like that.”

She raised her hand to hide her smirk. “I will do that. Would you mind telling her I’ll be there in about thirty minutes? I would appreciate it.”

Cyril smiled and nodded. “Sure. I guess I can do that.” He ran off in the direction of the second floor and Claude sighed behind her.

“Well, Teach. It’s been fun. I have more reading to do.” He slipped past her and gave a mock salute. “See ya around, Teach!”

“Professor?” She noticed Ingrid standing down the pathway as she watched Claude leave. 

“Yes, Ingrid? Did you need something?”

Ingrid bit at her lip and shifted her weight to the side. “Have you seen Sylvain today? He never went back to his room and I haven’t been able to find him.”

Hurt and anger battled through her as she fought to keep her face neutral. “Well you know how he is… maybe he’s with someone?”

Ingrid lifted a brow but nodded slowly. “I guess that’s true…” She glanced around the area and nodded again with more gusto. “I’m sure you are right. He’s got to be around here somewhere. Thank you for your time, Professor.” With a small bow she walked away.

**“He was rather distressed about something last night… He only lashes out at you like that when something is wrong.”**

Hurt won the battle in her head and she placed a hand over her chest as an aching tightness took hold. _“I don’t know… I can’t think about it right now. I have too many other things to worry over. With you potentially being the goddess of Fodlan sitting high on the list of things to worry over.”_ Sothis gave a heavy sigh, but didn’t push the issue. Byleth was grateful for that as she grabbed her bath things. Sylvain’s “lashing out” brought too many questions and too many feelings for her to possibly process right now.

  
After bathing quickly, spending far less time than she would like in the magically warmed waters, Byleth dressed in her Academy Uniform and walked toward the Audience Chamber to meet with Rhea. Trepidation swirled through her the closer she got. Rhea’s words still swirled through her mind about a threat to Fodlan’s peace and about the goddess Sothis. After speaking with Claude and hearing his opinion after her half joke about world domination, she felt uneasy.

_“All-out war would destroy my students. I don’t want that for them.”_

**“We will protect them, Byleth. I will do all I can to help you.”**

_“I guess it helps if you are the goddess of Fodlan…”_ She meant it as a joke, but it was too heavily on their minds to do anything other than cause additional unease.

As the doors of the Audience Chamber swung open, Rhea and Seteth both turned to greet her. “Byleth! It is good to see you again, under… better… circumstances.” Rhea folded her hands in front of her chest and bowed her head. “How is the Fraldarius boy doing?”

She bowed slightly in greeting and said, “His fever broke this afternoon. He’s recovering in the infirmary, but he should be fine.” She paused and looked to Rhea again. “Thank you for helping to heal him. Manuela has been teaching me more about faith magic, but I would be eager to learn from you as well. I would like to always be able to help my students.”

**“Is that… wise? We still cannot trust her.”**

_“I can’t go through last night again. If I can learn what Manuela and Rhea know, I’ll always be able to help my students.”_

Rhea’s face split in the biggest smile she had ever seen from her, as she clasped her hands before her. “I would love to teach you more, Byleth.” She hummed and shut her eyes. “Perhaps you can meet me in my quarters this evening for tea and we can get started.”

She noticed a sideways glance from Seteth but he kept his face impassive. “It would be an honor, Lady Rhea. Thank you.”

Rhea smiled and dropped her hands. “I called you here to inform you that we are planning a grand ball for this month. I am sure the students will be most pleased.” She imagined Felix’s face twisting in disgust, because he was going to absolutely hate this, she was sure of it. She raised a hand to cover her smile.

Seteth cleared his throat and cut in. “Yes, certainly. However, we must not devote all of our time to frivolity. We have a new mission for you. We have found evidence of someone sneaking into an unused chapel.”

“A chapel? Was something stolen?”

Rhea smiled softly at her concern. “It is a building that was once a temporary sanctuary during a time when the monastery was under renovation.”

Seteth was stern, as usual. “This month your class will be tasked with guarding the chapel and investigating these intruders. With the recent state of affairs surrounding the holy church, we cannot afford to overlook any abnormality, no matter how seemingly trivial.”

Rhea’s voice was soft as she folded her hands lightly in front of her. “I am ordering a seasoned knight to assist you and ensure the safety of the students. In times like these, I am afraid we must always expect the worst.”

“That is reassuring. Which knight?” The door opened behind her, and she spun around to see Jeralt walking toward them.

“Reporting for duty, Lady Rhea.” Her father’s voice was stern, but his eyes crinkled slightly when they made eye contact.

Rhea’s eyes crinkled as a playful smile curled her lips. “I thought you two could use the time to bond. And to speak of important matters…”

Jeralt shook his head with his eyes narrowed. He scoffed and threw his hands in the air. “Hmph. Appreciate the thought.”

Seteth stiffened and glared back at Jeralt. “Bear in mind that Jeralt also has a separate mission of his own. He will join you, once he has finished it.”

She turned to her father as he nodded. “It’s true, I’ll be away from the monastery for a while. But when I return… I’ll come and watch you work. I’ll be looking forward to it.” He walked toward the door and called over his shoulder, “Come to my office when you are done here, Kid. I have something I want to talk to you about before I head out.” The door closed with a thud behind him.

“That is all, you are free to go.” Rhea turned toward her office that was connected to the Audience Chamber and Byleth turned toward the door.

“Miss Eisner?” Seteth’s voice was hesitant as she turned, watching him close the distance between them in long strides. He cleared his throat with unease and fiddled with the sleeve of his tunic. 

“Yes, Seteth? Again, I would prefer if you called me Byleth.”

He crossed an arm over his chest and bowed slightly, making her raise a bow in confusion. “I wanted to apologize again…” he hesitated “Byleth. You were right in what you said last night. I was too focused on being skeptical about you and your appointment as professor, that I failed to see the traitors in our midst. Please, accept my humblest apologizes.”

“I’m sorry, too. That was unfair of me to say that after we have already left it behind us. I was angry at myself and scared for my student, I should not have taken it out on you. I have enjoyed having you as a…” she paused and tried to think of a good word “… as an ally. And I hope that we can continue to have a positive relationship.”

He smiled sadly and nodded. “Yes. It has been a trying year for you and your students. You were correct in what you said. It has…” he looked to the side and sighed “… it has haunted me since last night. I will try my best not to fail you and your students again.”

She nodded and tried to give him a comforting smile. “I know how hard you work, Seteth. I appreciate all you do. Your idea for helping Sylvain worked wonders, and you introduced me to Emery.” She felt a real smile tug her lips. “I am grateful to you.”

Seteth smiled softly and bowed his head. “I’m glad I could be of assistance.” He turned away, toward the offices Rhea had entered. “I will not take any more of your time.”

She knocked lightly at her father’s office door and it swung open almost immediately. “It’s about time.” He huffed as he walked back toward his desk, throwing things in a travel pack laid across it. “I’m going to visit Fraldarius and wanted you to come with me.

She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. “You are visiting one of the “brats”?”

He chuckled softly and tied up his pack before throwing it over his shoulder. “Well, that brat took a hit for you. That blue haired one told me what happened on the way back.” He clasped a hand on her shoulder and turned her to the door. “He may be a brat, but I can still be grateful it’s not you in that infirmary.”

“Why do I have to come with you?” Jeralt was pushing her toward the infirmary as she trudged forward. She still wasn’t pleased with Felix after this morning, and she also hated seeing him like that. 

“Oh, stop whining.” He reached forward and swung open the door. Manuela was sitting at her desk, drinking tea and reading a book.

“Jeralt! Lovely to see you again!” She stood and straightened her dress, running her hands lightly through her hair as she smiled. “To what do we owe the visit?”

Jeralt chuckled and pointed a thumb toward the door. “Mind giving us a minute? I want to talk to the brat.” Felix scoffed and she turned to see him crossing his arms, eyes narrowed in their direction. 

Manuela giggled flirtatiously and ran a hand across Jeralt’s arm as she walked out the door. “Alright. Keep an eye on him for me. He’s a flight risk, that one. Not unlike someone else I know.” She winked playfully at Byleth as she stood in the hall. “Though I guess I’m only here because you didn’t listen to my orders so…” She shrugged and giggled again before walking toward the stairs.

Jeralt closed the door and threw his pack on the bed Felix wasn’t in. Byleth pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Am I presentable enough to be here now?” She raised an eyebrow and stared intently at him.

A slight flush crept to his cheeks and he looked at a point that was just above her head, not meeting her eyes. He nodded sharply and Jeralt chuckled before muttering, “Damn kids.” Jeralt loomed over the bed, arms crossed as he stared down at Felix. Felix sat up on the bed, covering his now wrapped torso with the sheet. 

“I wanted to thank you.” Felix’s eyes widened slightly before narrowing again as his face went back to his normal scowl. “The blue haired kid told me what you did. I appreciate you looking out for my daughter.”

She scoffed and crossed her arms. “You are both ridiculous. I don’t need someone to look out for me. I’m a seasoned mercenary and a grown woman. I can handle myself.”

Felix raised an eyebrow. “Right, because you would have been fine if we didn’t follow you to Zanado. You can take out four giant wolves, a demonic beast, and two giant birds by yourself, right?”

She grimaced as Jeralt shook his head. “You did WHAT?” Jeralt threw his hands in the air and shook his head as she glared at Felix, who was smirking at her.

She muttered, “Asshole.” under her breath and Felix chuckled.

“Kid, you can’t do stuff like that! I know you can look out for yourself, but even you have limits. And you have a tendency to throw yourself in the way to protect others, a tendency that I’m not fond of.” He shook his head and sighed. “You are all I have, Kid.” She bowed her head and stared at her hands in her lap.

Jeralt’s voice was gruff as he said, “Thank you for looking out for her, Fraldarius. I’d appreciate it if you would continue to do so.”

She raised her head slightly to peek at Felix and saw his face soften. “Of course, I will.”

“I’ve gotta go, Kid. I’ll be back to help out in a few weeks.” She nodded and he walked out the door, shutting it behind him.

“Help out with what?” 

She turned back to Felix who was staring at her intently. “The Archbishop has assigned him to help us with this month’s mission. We’ll be keeping an eye on an old chapel. There’s evidence that someone has been trespassing there and they don’t want to leave anything to chance after everything that has happened.”

He relaxed slightly and tried to adjust on the bed. She stood and helped him sit forward, adjusting the pillows behind him so he could be more comfortable. “I’m almost disappointed. Not many chances to test my blade with a watch mission.”

She chuckled slightly and sat back down in the chair. “Well then you will be pleased to know there is also going to be a ball at the end of the month. That should provide enough excitement for you.” His face twisted in disgust and she laughed, a smile stretching her cheeks. 

“I don’t see what you are laughing about. Balls are stuffy and boring, I’d rather…”

“Train?” She smirked and cut him off. “Oh, I’m aware. No training for you for the next few days, though. I’ll write you into the guard rotation starting week. I want to make sure you are back on your feet before getting you back into action. No missing out on the ball, though. That’s mandatory.”

His face twisted in disgust again and she lifted a hand to hide her grin. “Tsk. I’m fine.” He clicked his tongue and folded his arms.

She reached out and lightly ran her hands along the bandage where his scar laid. He stiffened at her touch, but didn’t push her away like he normally would. “I just… have to be sure. You scared me last night.” She shut her eyes and her hand in her lap turned into a fist as she clenched it. “I hated seeing you like that.”

“I know.” She opened her eyes and Felix was staring at her. “I should have…” He groaned and ran a hand through his hair. “I shouldn’t have said what I did this morning. I’m sorry you had to take care of me all night.” He glanced off to the side and a tint of red tinged the tip of his ears. “I hope I didn’t do or say anything weird. Manuela said I wasn’t lucid and I don’t remember anything…”

She giggled softly and his eyes narrowed as they shot back to her. “You called me By a lot.” The tinge of pink was now on his cheeks and his ears. She sighed and whispered, “I missed it.” He looked away again, and she noticed his jaw was clenched. 

_Could Sylvain be… right?_ The thought filled her chest with warmth and she could feel the heat rise in her cheeks. She cleared her throat and pushed the feeling down, not wanting to think about it anymore. She took her hand off of his side and folded it in her lap. “You didn’t say or do anything too embarrassing. I promise.”

“Right.” He nodded his head but he was still looking everywhere that wasn’t her face. 

She stood slowly and headed toward the door. “I’ll let you rest a little more. Are you hungry or anything? Can I get anything for you?”

Felix furrowed his eyebrows and finally met her eyes. “No. I’m fine.” She turned away to open the door and he called, “Wait!” She turned back and he cleared his throat. “Have you seen Sylvain? Ingrid came to say hi and said she hasn’t seen him today. It seems weird, even for him… and his armor is still here.” He motioned toward the corner of the room where it lay in a pile where he had abandoned it the night before.

She sighed heavily as the aching sensation crawled back into her chest. “I haven’t seen him. I’ll have to get everyone together to tell them about this month’s mission. I’ll send him your way when I see him.”

“Right. Thanks.” 

She walked out, not wanting him to interrogate her about Sylvain again. It didn’t seem right to tell him about what had happened with Sylvain. She couldn’t tell him what he had said. She couldn’t even be sure that it was true, and things were finally good between Sylvain and Felix again. If she told Felix how cruel he had been last night, he would side with Byleth and Sylvain wouldn’t have someone to rely on. She was hurt by the way he had acted, but she still considered him a friend, even if he no longer did.

A hand crept up to her chest as she pushed at the ache. _Things were so good… what could I have done to make him act like that?_


	45. Chapter 45

~Sylvain~

“Kid? Hey, kid? Are you okay?” 

  
Sylvain slowly opened his eyes to a random man leaning down to stare at him. “Are you okay, kid?” Sylvain looked around, trying to piece together what was happening as he brushed off the haziness of sleep.

_Oh… right…_ He leaned against the tree he had slept sitting up against. His neck and back ached as he stood, joints cracking and muscles straining. He was FREEZING. 

“Do you need help?” The man looked down at him in concern.

He threw on his best fake smile and ran a hand through his hair, his fingers catching on knots and grime from the battle yesterday. “Nope. I must have been way too drunk. Thanks for waking me up. I better head back to the monastery.”

The man looked him over, seemingly unconvinced by his tale. “I’m heading to the monastery now. If you’d like, you can ride in the back of the cart. You don’t look like you should be walking.”

Sylvain looked down at his blood and dirt covered clothes and skin. He was visibly shivering, his teeth chattering as they spoke. “That would be appreciated. Thank you, sir.”

The entire ride back to the monastery his mind was a dull buzz, everything that had happened played before him as he shrank into himself. Remire Village, Dimitri’s mental break, Felix’s health, his fight… _could you even call that a fight…?_ with Byleth. _What am I going to do now?_ The merchant stopped his cart near the gates and he jumped off. 

“What the hell happened to you?” A gruff voice called to him. _Shit._

“Captain! How are ya?” He had a plastered-on grin that he prayed to the goddess looked real enough. Jeralt was mounted with a few knight’s behind him, travel packs were tied to the saddle. “Heading out for another mission already?”

Jeralt grimaced as he stared down at him. “Lady Rhea knows how to put people to work. I’ll ask again, what the hell happened to you?”

“I… got drunk and got lost, I guess. Must have been a crazy night.”

Jeralt’s eyes narrowed as his eyes seemed to look through him. _I guess I know where Byelth gets that stare._ He winced at the thought of Byleth from last night and Jeralt’s eyes narrowed further. “Go and get cleaned up. My kid has got enough to deal with right now. The blonde girl was just asking me if I had seen you. Better check in with her before she tears the monastery apart.”

Sylvain chuckled nervously and walked in the direction of his room. “Will do, Captain. Be safe out there.”

Jeralt grunted in acknowledgement but after a moment of silence said, “Not sure what is wrong with you… But it gets better, kid. You just have to let it.” With a click of his tongue and a light kick to his horse’s side he and the knights rode away.

_I’m not so sure…_ He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, wincing as he caught a big knot near the back of his hair. People gave him strange looks and stopped to whisper as he passed. He gave them all the same easygoing grin all the way to his room and all the way to the bath house. _Let them think whatever they want… it’s not like it matters._

He soaked for a long time, it was late afternoon, a time when the bath house was mainly empty. The warm water soothed some of the ache in his muscles and took the chill out of his bones. “What am I going to do now?” played like a mantra in his head. _Could I apologize? Should I apologize? Would that even help at this point? Would she even believe me?_

_Felix is going to KILL me… I’m going to die. He’s going to stab me, repeatedly._ He submerged his head under the water, trying to silence the world and his thoughts. His lungs strained as he held his head under until he absolutely couldn’t take it anymore and he broke the surface and took a loud intake of breath. The sound seemed to bounce off the walls of the stone room. 

“Sylvain?” Dedue’s voice rang out from the door that led into the boy’s section of the bath house. 

“Yeah?” 

“I’m glad I found you. The professor has asked us to meet in the classroom to discuss this month’s mission.”

_Shit._ “Alright. I’ll finish up really quick and head there as soon as I’m done.”

Dedue hummed in acknowledgement and left without another word. _Well… I was hoping to avoid this for at least the weekend, looks like I won’t be that fortunate._

He slowly walked into the classroom to the chattering of his classmates. Byleth stood at the front of the class speaking with Ashe, whom she waved off as soon as Sylvain entered.

“Now that you are all here…” All talking came to a stop as soon as Byleth started speaking. “… I wanted to check in with everyone after yesterday’s events. I also want to apologize for leaving you all so suddenly. Felix was grievously injured and I had to rush him back to the monastery for treatment.”

“How is Felix?” Annette spoke up, voice wavering slightly.

Byleth smiled sadly and said, “He was struck by powerful dark magic. It acted as a poison that his body had to fight off with a fever. Thankfully his fever broke this afternoon, and he is doing much better. I just came from the infirmary. Professor Manuela says he’ll be resting for a few days, but should be fine soon.” Sylvain let out a breath he didn’t realize his was holding and his shoulders relaxed somewhat. _At least Felix is alright._

Mercedes clasped her hands together in front of her chest and whispered, “Thank the goddess.”

Caspar stood and slammed his hands on the desk, startling everyone but Byleth who looked neutral as ever. “I’m sorry Professor, but I am furious right now! First the Death Knight, and now Tomas, but neither of them are in custody! I can’t stand the thought of such evil lurking in the world. We have to do something about this! I have to do something!” 

The class erupted in murmurs and some nodded their heads. Everyone was still haunted by the things they had seen in Remire. Everyone remembered the faces of the villagers they had escorted back to the monastery. It was all so horrifying.

Byleth nodded, but kept her face neutral. “The Archbishop has already sent out knights, searching for more information on these individuals. She has asked that we continue to train and get ready for whatever comes next, and I agree.” She leveled them all with her stare, but she avoided his eyes. “You all must work hard, to prepare for whatever is coming. There are enemies that are threatening peace in Fodlan.” The silence was deafening, you could hear a pin drop as the class hung on her every word. “I swear to do all I can to train and protect all of you. After yesterday, you are no longer children. You are warriors. And as much as I dislike the fact that you had to see all you did… I could not be more proud of you. You each did all you could.”

Sylvain noticed Dimitri shrinking down in his chair as he lowered his head. His fists were clenched in his lap and his jaw was clenched in distress. Sylvain cleared his throat and said, “You did great work too, Professor.” She didn’t even glance at him, just stared down at her hands in her lap. Ingrid cast him a sideways glance but said nothing.

“Sylvain is right, Professor. It’s just like you said, you did all that you could.” Mercedes voice was kind and Byleth gave her a sad smile.

“Well…” Byleth clapped her hands and scooted off of her desk to stand in front of them. “I’m here if anyone needs to talk more. I also wanted to give you some good news.” She smirked and looked around the room. “There is to be a grand ball at the end of the month. I’m requiring everyone to attend. We could all use some fun and relaxation.” Mercedes, Annette and Flayn bounced in their seats, grins spread wide across their faces. Linhardt put his head down with a loud groan that made Byleth smirk. Ingrid fiddled with her sleeve and Dimitri looked strangely frightened.

“A chance to dance with all the hotties? Yes, please!” Hurt flashed across Byleth’s face as the class erupted with groans. _Hey… I have a reputation to uphold…_ He leaned on the back two legs of his chair and folded his arms behind his head.

“Wait…” Ashe chuckled nervously from the back of the room near Caspar. “Is dancing going to be required? What if we don’t know how?”

Byleth smiled softly and said, “I won’t require it, but I do think you would have fun. If you’d like I can teach you. I’m not the best dancer, but I know the basics.”

Flayn jumped out of her seat with a loud gasp. “Professor! You know how to dance?”

Byleth’s smile grew wider at Flayn’s obvious excitement. “I do. I was hired for a job a few months before I came here. I had to stand in as a date to an event with a minor noble in the Alliance. I had to learn how to dance to avoid detection. I didn’t want to stick out, for obvious reasons.”

Ashe was staring wide eyed as he said, “And what happened?”

Byleth chuckled slightly and looked to the ceiling. “The man got ridiculously drunk and a rivaling noble tried to poison him.” Everyone gasped in horror and she shook her head. “Thankfully I was there and was able to stop it.” She shrugged and leaned back against her desk. “At least I can teach the basics of dance to anyone who needs it.”

Flayn clapped and bounced in her seat. “Yes! Dance practice! I do hope my brother allows me to dance at the ball.” She pouted her lips slightly and Mercedes leaned over to put a hand on her shoulder. 

“Annie and I will dance with you either way, right Annie?”

Annette nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! And we can all get ready together as well! You too, Ingrid!” Ingrid let out a groan as her head landed on the table.

Mercedes grin grew as she looked toward Byleth. “You as well, Professor! I would love to see what you look like all done up. You are so beautiful naturally, but with a nice hairdo and some makeup…” Her eyes were dreamy as Annette nodded.

“Ooooo! Good idea, Mercie!”

Byleth blushed and shook her head. “The ball is for the students, not for the staff.”

Mercedes giggled softly and with a playful smirk said, “Oh Professor… everyone is going to want to dance with you!” Byleth shook her head fervently as chuckles erupted through the classroom. Sylvain clenched his fists under the table.

Linhardt raised his head and leaned it onto his hand. “It all sounds exhausting if you ask me.”

Caspar looped an arm over Ashe’s shoulders and called, “I don’t really care about dancing, but I bet there will be some great food there. And we’ll all get to hang out!”

Dedue nodded slowly and said, “I just hope this month is peaceful.” He tilted his head to the side. “You also mentioned a mission for this month, didn’t you Professor?”

Byleth nodded and stood straight again. “Yes! This month we have been tasked with guarding an old chapel just outside the monastery grounds. There is evidence of suspicious individuals trespassing. I will be creating a guard rotation tonight. It should be a good break for you guys, but we need to keep our eyes peeled just in case.”

Byleth gave one more soft smile and said, “That will be all. Enjoy your weekend, but get some rest. I have to head to tea with the Archbishop.” She walked toward the door and without stopping or looking at him she whispered, “Felix would like to see you, and your armor is still in the infirmary. Don’t worry, I won’t be there.” He put his head down on the table as the click of her heels faded away.

“Where the hell were you?!” Ingrid’s hands slammed on the table and he winced, keeping his head lowered. “I looked everywhere for you this morning!”

Without raising his head, he said, “You know me, Ingrid. I got drunk and shacked up with some random girl. Sorry if you worried, but there was really no point.”

“I don’t believe you.” Her voice was soft but stern. “What happened? You and the Professor are acting weird.”

He sighed and raised his head. “Nothing happened. Just leave it alone, Ingrid. I’m sorry I worried you.”

She stared at him for a while before sighing and saying, “Do you want to have dinner with me?”

“I have to go and visit Fe, but I’ll meet you there after if you want?”

“Sounds good.” She gave him one last stare down before walking out the door.

He stood with a groan and walked to the infirmary. When he walked in Felix was dressed in nightclothes, his hair was pulled up again, and he seemed a lot better. “Hey, Fe.”

“Sylvain! You’ve got to get me out of here. I can’t take two more days of this shit!”

“Uh uh uh! You aren’t leaving here. Healer’s and Professor’s orders. If you leave Professor Byleth will just carry you right back like she did last night.” Manuela’s voice was playful as she winked at Felix’s disgruntled face. “I’ll give you boys some time to chat. And Mister Gautier? Please get your dirty armor out of my infirmary.”

“Yes ma’am!” He gave a mock salute and his best flirty wink and she giggled as she walked out the door.

“Gross, idiot. She’s a professor.” Felix scoffed and crossed his arms, sinking further into the bed.

“So is Byleth!" Felix flushed, making Sylvain chuckle dryly. "She’s hot! What can I say?” He chuckled, walking over to sit next to the bed. “Byleth said you wanted to see me?”

Felix’s eyes narrowed as he searched Sylvain’s face. “What happened between you two? She said you were here last night. I thought it might have been a dream because you weren’t here when I woke up.”

“Ahhh Fe! Were you sad I didn’t wait by your bedside?” He winked and Felix scowled.

“Don’t be an idiot. Byleth won’t tell me what happened, but something obviously did.” 

_So, she’s not throwing me under the bus. How does she always manage to make me feel worse?_ “It was nothing, Fe. She had a bit of a breakdown and I tried to help her through it… it didn’t really work and I left to get some sleep.”

“Bullshit. Ingrid said she couldn’t find you this morning.”

He rubbed the back of his head with a nervous chuckle. “Did I say sleep? I meant sex. I hooked up with someone last night. Didn’t want to kiss and tell but…”

“You expect me to believe you left here in the middle of the night and found someone to hook up with? And you ALWAYS kiss and tell. All you talk about are your hookups!” 

“Just drop it, Fe. Goddess… I didn’t come here to be harassed!”

“Tsk! Then leave! See if I care!”

He stood so quickly the chair fell over. He stomped over to pick up his armor and rushed out the door. _How did everything go to shit so quickly?_ He groaned audibly, earning some weird stares from random passersby. He didn’t care. He headed to his room and dumped his armor in the corner. 

_Goddess… and now I have to go to dinner with Ingrid._ His bed beckoned to him as his eyelids drooped. He had been up for most of the night and he was exhausted. _Ingrid will kill me if I don’t go…_  
With a resigned sigh he left his room and headed for the dining hall. 

Dinner and then sleep.

~Byleth~

She climbed the steps to the illustrious third floor and hesitated outside Rhea’s door. 

_“I have to do this, right. I need to be more advanced in my faith magic.”_

**“Yes. Just be on your guard. We still do not know what she expects of you. The way she looks at you sometimes makes me nervous.”**

After a deep breath she knocked on the door. Rhea swung the door open and her smile grew wider when her eyes landed on Byleth. “Thank you for coming, sweet child.” Rhea stepped to the side, allowing her access to the room. It was huge, with a large four poster bed with a white canopy, and nicer furnishings than what she had seen in anyone else’s room. It did look rather plain for what she would have expected though. It lacked any sort of really distinctive decorations.

Rhea ushered her to a table in the corner and they sat across from each other. Rhea poured her some tea and smiled. “This is the first time I have welcomed you here, is it not?” She nodded curtly and took a sip of her tea. Rhea giggled softly and said, “There is no need to be nervous. Please, come closer.” She reached a hand out and placed it on Byleth’s on the table. “When you speak with me here in this room, you are not speaking with the archbishop, but with Rhea. It’s just me.”

She stared at their hands for a moment, before sliding hers out. “I apologize, I’m still not well versed in these things. Tea times and such didn’t happen often as a mercenary. These things make me nervous.”

Rhea’s smile grew as she giggled softly. “You are such a sweet child.” She bowed her head. “Oh, I apologize. I should not be treating you like a child. As Jeralt’s kin, somehow you don’t at all seem a stranger to me… Speaking of Jeralt, may I ask if he ever spoke of me to you?”

“He didn’t tell me anything about his life before coming here, but he has always been one to keep to himself and not share much.”

Rhea frowned and looked down at her tea. “Well, since you are here, shall I tell you of the Jeralt that I knew?”

She couldn’t help the feeling of curiosity as she stared at the Archbishop. She knew next to nothing about her father and mother. _Though it’s probably best not to bring up Sitri. Jeralt lied to Rhea when we first met for a reason, I’m sure._ “I would… like that.” She tried to smile and the Archbishop seemed to relax slightly.

“So, you haven’t heard much of his prior time at the monastery?” Byleth shook her head no and took another sip of tea. Rhea’s eyes looked past her, seemingly into the past as a small smile graced her face. “When I first met Jeralt, he was quite young. Why, he could not even grow a full beard at that point!” The archbishop chuckled slightly at the memory.

“At one point, the band of mercenaries he belonged to fought alongside the Knights of Seiros. I was traveling alongside the knights at the time, and Jeralt jumped in front of an attack that was meant for me.” Byleth raised her cup to hide her smirk. _And he always chides me for it…_

Rhea’s voice became grave as she said, “He was gravely wounded, on the verge of death. I tended to his wounds in a desperate attempt to save his life. Thankfully, my efforts were not in vain. Jeralt managed to escape a seemingly certain death. I made arrangements for him to receive further care at Garreg Mach. The moment he was deemed fully recovered, I invited him to join the Knights of Seiros.”

“I didn’t know. Thank you for telling me. He always chides me for taking actions like that, but it seems it runs in the family.”

Rhea laughed softly, the action tinkling the beads in her headdress. “It seems so. It is not a story I have often repeated. Even at the monastery there are not many who know that.” She paused and looked down at her tea again. “I tell you this, because… to me, you are the child of the one who saved my life all those years ago. And also…” she stopped speaking, her lips forming a hard line.

“Yes?” Byleth leaned forward, curious of what else she could possibly mean.

“Nevermind, it is nothing. I simply wanted to say that I trust you. By coming to visit with me today, and by asking me to help you further your faith magic… well… suffice it to say that my day is brighter than it otherwise would have been. I thank you for that.”

“Of course, Lady Rhea. And thank you for saving Jeralt all those years ago.” She nodded her head slowly before taking another drink of her tea. Rhea watched her with a soft smile.

“When you are finished with your tea, we can start our lesson.”

  
When she left the Archbishop’s quarters, she was exhausted. She had barely slept the night before while she watched over Felix, and using all that faith magic in Rhea’s lesson left her even more tired.

**“I wonder what Rhea could have possibly done to make your father fear her so.”**

_“I’ve been wondering the same thing. He saved her life, and in turn she saved his. She even invited him to join the Knights of Seiros, a highly respected position in Fodlan. But now, he doesn’t trust her.”_

**“I wonder what lies behind the thick veil that is your past…”**

_“I’ll ask Jeralt for more answers after this month’s mission. With the fact that you might potentially be the goddess of Fodlan, I think it’s time to delve into my past some more. There has to be a reason we are connected, and my father must have some form of answers.”_

~Felix~

Two days in the infirmary had dragged on and seemed to last forever. Manuela kept telling him she didn’t trust him to actually rest if he just stayed in his room, so he pouted the entire time. An entire weekend without training, just because of a stupid fever. 

Monday rolled around and Manuela allowed him to go to class. Byleth smiled brightly as he walked in and took a seat. Sylvain was as fake cheery as ever, sitting in the back of the room. They hadn’t talked since Felix had tried to get answers about whatever happened between him and Byleth. They were still acting weird, not looking at or talking to each other. Felix couldn’t decide if that was worse than Sylvain hanging all over her or not. It really just frustrated him that Sylvain was pretending like nothing happened.

The stupid ball and the White Heron Cup were the only things people seemed to be talking about. The librarian betrayed them, the Death Knight and the Flame Emperor were still out there, and all people could focus on was a stupid dance. Ashe, Flayn, Annette, and Mercedes were chattering on about how Byleth was supposedly giving basic dance lessons every Sunday until the ball. _How in the hell does she know how to dance?_

When class was over, Byleth asked him to stay behind. After the doors shut behind everyone, she crossed her arms where she stood in front of her desk and smirked. “I want you to be our representative for the White Heron Cup.”

“Hell no. Why would I do that?” He crossed his arms and scoffed at her.

“Because it will change the way you handle a blade. Having the grace and footwork of a dancer with your speed will make you unstoppable with enough practice.” She raised an eyebrow, challenging him to disagree.

“I…” He groaned and dropped his arms to his sides. “Dancing is stupid. And I definitely don’t want to do it with everyone watching me.”

She smirked playfully and said, “Well, what if I bribe you?”

“Bribe me?” He walked closer to her, with his eyebrow raised in interest.

She walked around her desk and pulled out a long package from underneath it. She walked back around until she was standing right in front of him. “I was at the blacksmith yesterday getting repairs done on our convoy weapons when Terrance from the armory stall called me over…”

He interrupted her. “Terrance? You are on a first name basis with the guy at the armory stall?”

She shook her head. “If you keep interrupting, I won’t show you.” He scoffed and shook his head, but didn’t say anything else. “Terrance called me over. He said he was able to find something I would be interested in.” She took the lid off of the package and he gasped.

“A Levin sword?! Where the hell did he get a Levin Sword?!” Felix reached out a hand to grasp the hilt, but she slammed the lid down on his hand with a click of her tongue. “Ow!”

“You have to say you’ll do the Heron Cup first. If you don’t… I’ll have to keep this beauty all to myself.” She had a playful smirk that reminded him a lot of the face she made whenever she made him yield in a sparring match. It was the face of when she knew she had won, and he had lost. This was the first time he had seen it outside of training, and it was doing odd things to him. His palms were starting to sweat and his stomach fluttered like some lovesick teenager. _So stupid._

He turned his head away from her, not able to look at that face anymore. “Fine.” She let out a breathy chuckle and pushed the sword into his hands. He fumbled slightly before getting a grasp on it.

“You are welcome! We’ll be doing dance training on week nights until the ball. Meet me at my room after dinner.”

His heart stopped beating for a few seconds as his brain tried to process what she had just said. “Why?”

She raised her eyebrow at him. “Because I don’t want the other classes to watch you training.”

“Well… let’s do it in the classroom then. There’s probably more room in here anyway.” _I can’t do this alone in your room. Nope. Can't do it._

She leaned her weight onto one hip, head tilted onto her fist. “I mean… I guess that works.” She stood straight and nodded. “Fine. Meet me here after dinner.” She walked around him and left the room.

He groaned after the door shut behind her. _What did I just sign up for?_

He was nervous through the rest of the day. He trained for hours, trying to burn off some of the nervous energy, before bathing and heading to dinner. He ate slowly, listening to Ashe ramble on about some new story he was reading. Ashe seemed happy to help him stall for time, if not a little surprised that he was actually letting him tell the story without stomping out.

Finally, he decided he couldn’t delay it any longer. He walked into the classroom hesitantly, his muscles tensed. Byleth glanced up from her papers and gave him a soft smile. “Let me finish grading this assignment and then we’ll get started.”

He pushed himself up on the nearest desk and crossed his arms, looking anywhere but at her. _Is this really worth a Levin sword and some extra training?_ He sighed and shook his head. _Probably._ He glanced over at Byleth. She was in her warmer training clothes, at least. A long sleeve high neck black shirt with a small cutout above her chest. _Seriously… what’s up with her clothes? Ridiculous._

She dropped her quill back in the inkwell and stood to walk toward him. “Do you know how to dance, Felix?”

He crossed his arms and looked away. “I’m the heir to a noble family in the Kingdom of Faerghus. What do you think?”

She let out a breathy laugh. “Lots of dance lessons as a kid, then?”

“I always hated them.” The memory of Glenn watching from the sidelines, mocking him whenever he stepped on the instructor’s feet or did a wrong step flashed across his mind. He also remembered how Glenn would always wrap an arm around him and lead him to the training room to help him feel better afterwards. 

“Well let’s see if you are any good.” He glanced over at her and she had her arms raised in the correct positions for him to step into. “It’s been a while since I’ve danced, so think of it as a warm up.”

He stepped forward cautiously and took her hand in his, before placing a hand on her upper back. She chuckled slightly and he narrowed his eyes. “What?!”

She sighed and wiggled his arms. “You are so tense. I’m not dangerous.”

He scoffed as warmth spread across his cheeks. “I beg to differ.”

“Well… I’m not dangerous to you. Happy?” She smirked and wiggled his arms again. “Now relax!”

He took a deep breath and tried to loosen up. They did a basic box step, as he looked at a point above her head. Every time he made eye contact, he got nervous. _You are acting like a child. It’s just dancing!_ She hummed as they danced. He recognized the tune from that night in Sylvain’s room.

He blurted out, “I never knew you sang.” 

She raised an eyebrow as they continued to dance, stepping slightly closer to him so he could almost feel her. “Everyone sings a little, don’t they?”

“Not as well as you.” 

She turned her head away from him, but he didn’t miss the bit of pink in her cheeks. “I like music. I always have, even when I was…” she tilted her head slightly “… not as expressive.” She nodded like she was confirming it to herself. “I learned the song when I met a bard in a tavern about two years ago.” 

He grunted in acknowledgement and she stepped slightly closer before beginning to hum again. He moved his hand a little further down so it rested at her waist. She smirked and said, “I don’t think you’ll need to practice every weeknight. Honestly I was expecting you to be a lot worse.”

He led her into a basic spin turn, pulling her a bit closer as they glided around the room. After a while he twirled her out before pulling her back in to his chest and back to first position. She flushed slightly and he smirked. “I told you I know how to do this.”

She cleared her throat and nodded. “Right…” She looked off to the side, but he could still see the slight upturn of her lips. “I guess you don’t need practice then.”

The thought of not having this time alone with her made his chest tighten. “Well… I’m sure the Black Eagles will use Dorothea. She has stage experience.” Byleth nodded and hummed in thought. “I’m not losing to her.”

Byleth smirked and quirked her eyebrow. “So, you want to practice then?”

He tried to keep his tone gruff. “I don’t want to lose. If I have to practice… so be it.”

She stopped them and stepped out of his hold. “Then, I want to watch you move.” She walked over to her desk and pulled out parchment and a quill.

“What are you doing with that?”

She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. “It’s to take notes, just like your sword and reason magic training.” She sat up straighter and pointed the quill at him. “Now go.”

He fought back a blush as she stared at him. “I don’t want to do it if you are just going to sit there and watch.”

“But that’s what the judges are going to be doing for the competition? You need the practice. We have less than three weeks until the competition.”

“Can we just…” he groaned and looked up at the ceiling. _I can’t believe I actually want to dance with her. This is stupid. I hate this._ He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at her. “I don’t…” he groaned again throwing his hands up in frustration before turning away.

He heard the sound of her steps behind him before he felt her place a hand on his shoulder. She whispered, “Do you want to practice with me a little more first?” 

He nodded slowly. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had to dance.” He took a deep breath and then whispered, “It’s just… more comfortable with you.”

She stepped around him and grabbed his hand, stepping into position. “Then we’ll practice more.” She smiled softly at him and started to hum as he placed a hand on the small of her back and began to lead her around again. They danced in silence, other than Byleth’s humming, for what seemed like a long time. Eventually it started to get dark and Byleth pulled them to a stop, but didn’t step away.

“That’s probably enough for today.” Her voice was quiet and he hummed in agreement, but didn’t drop his hold. She stared at him for a while, before she slowly let go of his hand and moved it up to his nape along with the one that had been on his shoulder. He wrapped both arms around her waist and pulled her closer until he could finally feel her against him. She breath hitched slightly, and she glanced up at him before laying her head against his collarbone.

They began to sway in the silent classroom. She whispered, “We should probably go.”

“Probably.” He leaned his head into hers and she moved her fingers into his hair, sending a small shiver down his spine. 

After a few minutes she stepped away slowly, putting distance between them. He immediately missed the feel of her against him. She walked to the door and opened it. “Come on. You need rest.”

His heart sank as he walked out with her. They walked past the training grounds and kept going until they reached her room. They both paused at the bottom of the steps that led to her door. He searched his mind for something to say, something to make this peace between them last. “Who gave you this room anyway?”

She chuckled softly, “Seteth.”

“Seteth put you in the dorms next to the commoner boys. Is he an idiot?” 

She smirked and looked to the room beside hers. “I guess I can’t get up to much with my student right next door.” Her smirk fell as she whispered, “Sometimes it’s not fun being underneath Sylvain’s room, though.”

Something hot and angry burned in his chest. He was about to shatter the peace that he was just trying to cling to. “I can’t believe…” He clenched his fists and groaned. “What happened with you two? You guys were all buddy buddy and now you won’t even look at each other! What’s going on?”

She frowned and looked down at her shoes. “He said some things he shouldn’t have. That’s all.”

He stepped closer and placed his hands on her upper arms. “What did he say? Tell me.”

She smiled sadly and tilted her head, bringing a hand up to place it on his chest. “You don’t want to know. Trust me.” She sighed and stepped away from him. “Goodnight, Felix. I’ll see you in class tomorrow.” The door shut before he could force out a reply.

His mind was swimming with options as he stared at her door. _What did he say to her? What could he say that I didn’t want to know? Did he… did he tell her he likes her?_ He shook his head. _Sylvain wouldn’t do that… would he? That wouldn’t explain why Byleth looked so hurt._ He groaned and turned to walk toward his room. 

_Why won’t they tell me?!_


	46. Chapter 46

~Sylvain~

It was the day of the White Heron Cup and the Officer’s Academy was buzzing with excitement. Byleth’s dance lessons, which had grown with the addition of Black Eagle and Golden Deer students, were the talk of the monastery. Everyone was looking forward to the ball, and the Blue Lions were eager to see how Felix would do in the competition.

“I can’t believe the Professor got Felix to do the competition.” Ashe’s eyes were wide as he whispered to Annette, Mercedes and Flayn. Sylvain was sitting with them for lunch, lacking his usual dining companion. Felix still wasn’t really speaking to him.

“I can believe it.” Mercedes giggled with a hand over her mouth. “The Professor can be very persuasive. Even someone like Felix isn’t immune.”

Sylvain slouched slightly and pushed his food around his plate. “I know what you mean, Mercie. But a dance competition? Felix?” Annette was looking around like an angry Felix might stomp up to them at any second and yell at them to stop talking about him. Realistically he probably would. Sylvain kind of wished he would.

Flayn sighed, “I would have liked to participate, but I am certain that the Professor has done well in preparing him. My brother told me he stumbled on them practicing in the classroom late one night.” Flayn giggled into her hands. “He was not pleased, but the Professor just said they had to practice.”

Sylvain slouched even further, his appetite now completely gone. _This is… good. Right? This is what I thought would happen. They’ll be close… maybe even get together. This is good._

Mercedes giggled again and placed a hand on Sylvain’s shoulder. “Would you like to have tea with me before watching the competition?”

Sylvain straightened and smiled down at her. “Tea with the lovely Mercedes? How could I refuse?”

She smiled softly, her eyes crinkling in the corners as she stood. “Well then, come with me.” She turned to the others at the table. “We’ll meet you there, save us a spot!”

They worked together to grab a teapot and some snacks before heading out to the courtyard. Mercedes made Crescent Moon Tea, saying it was one of her favorites. They sat in silence for a while, each of them glancing around as excited students ran around the monastery.

Sylvain plastered on his most flirtatious grin and sat closer to the table, leaning his head in his hand. “You know, I’ve been wanting to spend more time with you Mercedes. What made you invite me to tea? Wait! Let me guess..." He put a finger to his chin in mock contemplation. "You can no longer withstand my good looks and charm? Are you ready to fall in love with me now? You know I’ve been waiting.” He winked and Mercedes giggled.

“Oh, Sylvain…” She sighed and took a sip of her tea. “Truth is, I’m worried about you. I wanted to see if you needed someone to talk to.”

“I… what?” Sylvain’s grin fell slightly as he stared. _But… I’ve been so normal? How could she…?_

Mercedes smiled sadly. “I’ve noticed you’ve been acting more like you did at the start of the year. The over the top flirting, the charming jokes, the constantly having someone on your arm…”

“That’s how I’ve always been Mercedes. That’s how I’ll always be… well… unless you agree to fall in love with me.” He winked and smirked at her. “I can see myself staying faithful to someone as lovely and kind as you. For real this time.”

She still had a smile on her face, but she seemed more serious. “Well, if you were really interested in me, I would want you to get to know me better. And I would want to know more about you.”

“I agree. I’ve been such an idiot in the past, always angling for the seduction… I’ve forgotten how to just talk to someone.”

Mercedes giggled into her hand. “You act like you are full of regret, but I know you don’t really mean it. Still, I’m glad to hear you say it at least.”

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “See right through me, do ya?”

She smiled softly. “After everything that happened with your brother, you changed for the better. You seemed to grow closer to our Professor, you spent more time with us, you even seemed to work harder in class. Lately though… things seem strained between you, the Professor, and Felix. Without them around, it seems like you are relying on all of your old tricks.” He winced, but tried to hide it behind his tea cup.

“I don’t say it to scold you. I merely say it because I want you to know that I am here if you ever need to talk, or if you ever need someone to rely on. I’m here if you need someone to share in your pain.”

His throat tightened and his eyes began to burn. His voice was soft as he said, “Ya know, Mercedes… you really are a special girl.”

She reached across the table and took his hand. “It’s alright, Sylvain.”

He shook his head. “It’s not. I don’t deserve…” He shook his head and swallowed around the lump in his throat. “I don’t deserve your kindness.”

“I disagree.” Mercedes squeezed his hand lightly. “I’ve seen how much you’ve grown in the time we’ve been at the Officer’s Academy. You are kind, always looking out for others. You are smart and brave. I think you deserve some kindness.”

He bowed his head, unable to look into her eyes. “I’ve… said and done things I shouldn’t have. I’ve hurt the people closest to me. Hearing that, can you honestly say I deserve kindness?” He shook his head. “Forget it, I don’t want you to see me acting this way.” He straightened and slid his hand away from hers, plastering on a grin.

Mercedes shook her head. “Don’t say that. I’m glad you are able to speak to me this way. I feel like I’m finally seeing the real you for the first time!” She reached out and placed her hand on his arm. She tilted her head and seemed to hum in thought. “I still believe you deserve kindness. I can imagine you’ve been through a lot in your life, especially after everything that happened with your brother. It doesn’t mean I’m overlooking whatever you did to hurt the Professor and Felix…” his head snapped to look at her and she gave him a knowing smile “… but I think you are more than your mistakes. When I look at you, I don’t see a Crest, or nobility, or even a skirt chaser.” She giggled into her hand. “I see my friend. And I always like helping my friends.”

His vision blurred as tears filled his eyes. He wiped the sleeve of his tunic over them and cleared his throat roughly. “I… Mercedes…”

“Now what are you going to do to fix it? You’ve made a mistake that hurt others. How will you make it right?” 

Her big lavender eyes stared up at him and he sighed. “There’s nothing I can do, Mercedes.”

“I don’t believe that.” She shook her head. “It’s obvious they both care for you. You may not notice it, but the Professor is always checking on you out of the corner of her eye. Felix is more open and friendly with you than anyone else, other than maybe the Professor.” She hummed and looked over at the flowers that were growing near them. “Have you apologized?”

He hung his head in shame. “No.”

“Well that is the first step to fix whatever happened between you. You can continue from there!” She clasped her hands at her chest, smiling up at him. “Oh, I hope you will. I miss seeing you all happy.” 

She stood and held out a hand. “We should probably get going if we don’t want to miss Felix’s performance.” She giggled into her free hand. “Oh, I’m so excited! I hope our house wins!”  
He laughed, a natural laugh, and stood holding out an arm for her to take. “Yes! Let’s! I can’t miss this.”

They walked to the Reception Hall and Sylvain immediately spotted Felix and Byleth standing off in a corner. Felix was in his dress uniform, arrayed in black and gold. His hair was in a nicer bun than the messy one he normally has. He looked really good… but he also looked absolutely miserable. Sylvain couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped him as he watched Byleth try to calm him down. Felix caught his eye across the room and they stared at each other for a moment before Felix turned to pay attention to Byleth’s fussing.

Mercedes tugged his arm and led him over to where the rest of the Blue Lions were standing. Dimitri was looking almost back to normal now, though he had bags under his eyes and looked more tired than usual. “Hey Your Highness!” He clapped a hand on his shoulder, earning a small smile from the prince. “Can you believe Felix is doing a dance competition? Who would’ve thought!” Dimitri chuckled and he turned when he heard Ingrid snicker behind him.

“The Professor must have dirt on him or something. Felix always hated dance lessons. I remember Glenn complaining that he had to do extra training with Felix because he felt bad for him.” Ingrid sighed as she looked off to the distance.

“That sounds like Glenn.” Dimitri had an odd look on his face, something containing a mixture of nostalgia and wariness. He kept glancing slightly to his left as he turned his body to better face them.

“Are you alright, Your Highness?” Sylvain put a hand on his arm, trying to pull him out of his daze. 

“Ah, yes. I’m fine Sylvain. I just have a headache. It’s making it a bit harder to concentrate.” Dimitri reached up and massaged his temples, looking exhausted.

“Maybe you should go and get some rest, Your Highness?” Ingrid stepped forward and put a hand on Dimitri’s other arm. Dedue was glancing at them from behind Dimitri, concern written all over his face. _How long has he been like this?_

Dimitri shook his head, and some of his usual composure seemed to come over him. He stood up straight and shot them a playful smile. “And miss Felix dancing? Never!” They laughed together and Dimitri looked a lot better. 

Ingrid still looked wary. “Okay, but you should tell the Professor or Professor Manuela about your headache. Maybe they can help? The Professor has been honing her faith magic a lot over the last couple weeks.” 

“I will, Ingrid. For now, let’s enjoy the festivities.”

Everyone was chattering away excitedly until Alois’ booming voice shouted, “Thank you for gathering here on the eve of the highly anticipated ball to bear witness to… The academy-wide dance competition!” He pumped his fist in the air as cheers rang through the hall. “Welcome to the White Heron Cup!” The cheers became even louder and Sylvain couldn’t help but smile, seeing all of his friends so excited.

“The competition will be judged by… me! Your humble servant, Alois Rangeld! And also…” he motioned to his left. “The acclaimed former songstress of the Mittelfrank Opera Company, Manuela Casagranda!”

Sylvain leaned down to Ingrid and whispered, “Wait… Felix is up against Dorothea who was trained by one of the judges?”

She bit her lip and nodded as Manuela called out, “Yes, yes, thank you. Oh, and it should go without saying, but I swear to show no bias to my own house. Got it? Good.”

Sylvain leaned over and spoke just loud enough to be heard over the cheering crowd. “Yeah right.” and Ingrid rolled her eyes with a smirk.

Alois called out, “Last but not least, the glamorous assassin who does all of her dancing in the dead of night… Shamir Nevrand!”

Sylvain whistled along with everyone else as they cheered. Shamir looked almost as miserable as Felix, it was kind of hilarious. She put a hand to the bridge of her nose and shook her head as everyone cheered. 

“The three of us swear on our honor to judge the following proceedings with utmost impartiality and fairness! And with that, will the representatives of each house please make their way to the stage!” Byleth stepped up beside him as the dancers started walking out to the floor.

Felix walked out to the middle of the crowd of people, along with a dressed to the nines Dorothea and Lysithea from the Golden Deer. Dorothea wore a dancer’s outfit that was deliciously revealing. Her makeup was perfect as she smiled and waved to the crowd. Lysithea wore a simple purple dress and had a nervous smile on her face. Her hair was braided back and she had a little makeup on, it all reeked of Hilda’s handiwork. 

The Golden Deer were loudly cheering, Claude was proudly beaming as the rest jumped around him. The Black Eagles stood off to the left, Edelgard looking smug as she looked over the other contestants. Sylvain was starting to feel nervous for Felix.

“Contestants! Are you ready to dance?” Nods from all of them. “And is the band prepare to play? Very well… BEGIN!”

The instruments began to play a simple waltz and everyone quieted as the dancers began. Sylvain watched in awe as the dancers started. Felix was more graceful than he had ever seen, the corner of his mouth twisted up slightly as he glanced in Byleth’s direction. Sylvain glanced over at her and she was smiling softly, fully immersed in the dance before her. Her hands were clasped in front of her chest as she watched the dancers and swayed slightly to the music.

Felix had always been graceful, being a swordsman with his frame it was kind of expected. But the way he was moving now was so reminiscent of Byleth with a blade. He could almost picture Felix dancing across a battlefield with a sword in hand. He started to understand why he did this, other than the obvious reason of having an excuse to spend a lot of time alone with Byleth. Felix was… breathtaking. Sylvain couldn’t take his eyes off of him.

All too soon Alois shouted, “TIME! That’s all, folks!”

The dancers stopped with a bow as the judges walked forward. Alois was laughing jovially as he said, “Splendid! All three of you were fantastic! Now… let’s hear what the judges have to say…”

Manuela clasped her hands in front of her, voice hesitant as she said, “Oh my, let’s see. I suppose I have no choice but to vote for… The Black Eagle House! Dorothea… your performance was… exhilarating! My heart is still beating a mile a minute!”

Caspar whooped for Dorothea as the rest of the Blue Lions shot him a glance. “What?! She’s a friend…” he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as Linhardt sighed. Everyone was starting to get nervous. Byleth’s shoulders tensed beside him, her knuckles white on her clasped hands.

Sylvain leaned down and whispered, “He did great. Don’t worry.”

She cast him a sideways glance and said, “He’ll never forgive me if he loses. I had to bribe him to get him to do this.”

“With what?” He could guess, but he wanted to know for sure. 

“A Levin sword to use in our missions… and extra training, of course.” She smirked as Sylvain burst out laughing.

The crowd finally started to die down and Dorothea stopped curtsying as Shamir said, “I vote for… the Blue Lion House. The way you carried yourself was striking.” The Blue Lions erupted in cheers as Byleth smiled broadly. Felix’s cheeks had a tint of pink, and he bowed before casting a glance at Byleth.

Alois pumped a fist and said, “Great feedback, both of you! Well then, let’s see… Factoring in my own opinion… Yes! We have a winner!”

“And I will announce who it is… right now! Without any delay! The winner of this year’s White Heron Cup is… The Blue Lion House!” Every one of the Blue Lions erupted in cheers. Annette, Mercedes, and Flayn were jumping and clapping with the biggest smiles on their faces. Ashe, Dedue, and Ingrid stood nearby, watching with grins on their faces. Dimitri walked over and was talking to a beaming Byleth, and even Caspar and Linhardt seemed to join in, Caspar shouting even louder than the rest of them, his arm around a smirking Linhardt.

Sylvain looked over at Felix, taking in the smug smile as Felix bowed to the judges. Lysithea looked disappointed, but the Golden Deer were quick to run over and surround her. Dorothea just looked impressed, she arched an eye brow and walked over to Felix, placing a flirtatious hand on his bicep. Whatever she said made the tips of his ears redden as he pulled his arm away and scoffed.

He stood in the center of the room as everyone cheered for him, a hand on his forehead. He shook his head lightly and turned to walk over to the group. Everyone immediately surrounded him. Annette, Mercedes, and Flayn put a flower wreath around his neck as they giggled and congratulated him. Dedue and Dimitri bowed, Dimitri trying to say something kind, but gave up as Felix bristled. 

Byleth walked over and Felix smiled, a rare Felix Hugo Fraldarius smile. He bowed slightly to her as his cheeks dusted pink. “I told you I’d win.”

She laughed brightly, all of the Blue Lions turning once they heard it. “I knew you could do it.” She took his hand in hers and turned to face all of them, raising their intertwined hands in the air. “Let’s hear it for, Felix!” Felix scoffed as everyone clapped and cheered, pulling his hand out of Byleth’s but still smiling a small smile as he stared at her. “Now let’s all go to dinner together to celebrate a Blue Lion victory!”

Dimitri chuckled, “Food in the name of victory, as usual Professor.” She beamed at him as everyone laughed. _He’s not wrong. I mean… seriously. How does she eat as much as she does?_

They managed to get a couple people to move so all of them could pile together with their trays. Sylvain tilted his head to his hand, watching Ingrid shovel her food into her mouth with gusto. She raised an eyebrow when she noticed him looking. “What?!” She snapped at him.

“It’s weirdly soothing watching you just shovel it right in there. What’s with the appetite today?”

She flushed bright red and swallowed the food in her mouth. “None of your business. I can’t help it, OK? Everyone gets hungry after exercise!”

Felix scoffed and they both turned to him, sitting down the table next to Byleth. “Just admit you like food, Ingrid. You aren’t fooling anyone.”

Byleth nodded. “This is delicious! How could you not?” She took a huge bite and Felix scoffed with a smirk on his face, elbowing her lightly as her eyes crinkled.

Ingrid beamed, “You know what, you are right, Professor.” She took a big bite and pointed her fork at Sylvain. “Stop watching me eat, creep.” 

He chuckled and winked at her. “But you are just so lovely, I can’t resist.” 

Byleth let out a breathy chuckle and he turned his head to look at her. The corner of her mouth twitched up and she nodded to him. Warmth spread through his chest as he grinned back at her. _Maybe Mercedes was right. Maybe… I could apologize. Maybe I could make it better._ Felix noticed them looking at each other and looked skeptical before scoffing and looking down at his food again.

The chatter in the dining hall was dull roar as everyone talked about the dance competition and the upcoming ball. Sylvain could hear various groups talking about what they would wear, while others pointed out the people they wanted to dance with. Dimitri shook his head and said, “This is the only ball of the year, and I see why. Everyone is absurdly excited…”

Dedue tilted his head slightly and said, “Your Highness, you sound so detached. We are all encouraged to enjoy the ball. The Professor said as much.” Byleth nodded and looked between them.

“Right you are, Dedue. What a burden.” Dimitri sighed and folded his arms. 

“Oh come, Dimitri. Is there no one you want to dance with?” Byleth smiled softly and everyone laughed as Dimitri blushed and shook his head no.

Felix scoffed and without looking at Dimitri said, “I never thought we would see eye to eye, but I agree. I’d rather be swinging my blade than wasting my time with some girl at the ball.”

Sylvain slammed a hand on the table with a chuckle. “Felix! Your Highness! You must be joking, right? This is our chance to dance with all the ladies of the academy to our heart’s content. You wish to throw away the best day of the whole year for sword practice? Insanity, I tell you! This is your chance to dance with anyone you want, and I mean anyone.” He winked and both of them had a pink tint to their cheeks. _Oh goddess… Byleth is never going to have a moment’s rest._

Ashe chuckled nervously, “I’m pretty excited about the ball myself. The Professor has been working hard to teach me how to dance, and it’s not like we get to do things like this very often.”

“Too true, Ashe. I bet you have a lucky girl you want to take out on the dancefloor, huh?” He winked and glanced at a blushing Annette. Ashe chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.

“I’ll help you work on your dancing some more at the ball, Ashe.” Annette was blushing profusely, but looked determined as she placed a hand on Ashe’s arm.

Mercedes giggled into her hand and winked at Sylvain. “I’m just excited to get Ingrid and the Professor all dressed up. The ball warrants at least a tiny bit of makeup, don’t you guys think? Just a smidge?” Ingrid looked like she was ready to run for the hills, but Byleth looked mildly curious.

Ingrid spluttered out a, “I… hmmm. Maybe. I’ll think about it.”

Annette giggled and pumped her fists in the air. “It’s settled. The morning of the ball we’ll all meet up in Ingrid’s room. Ooh, I can’t wait!”

Dimitri glanced between Ingrid and Byleth and chuckled. “You know… there’s no telling where life will take us after we leave here. If only we could find a way to come together again, just like this…”

Dedue nodded. “A fine notion, Your Highness. Perhaps five years from now?”

Dimitri quirked an eyebrow. “Five years from now? Ah! That’s when Garreg Mach Monastery will be holding its millennium festival.”

Ingrid nodded her head. “By then we’ll be addressing Your Highness as Your Majesty instead!”

Sylvain couldn’t hold back a grimace. _And I’ll be trapped in Gautier territory in a loveless marriage… probably with a kid or two._ “That’s right. I suppose we all know it’s coming, but by then you’ll be far removed from us.”

Dimitri shook his head with a light chuckle. “Come now. You know me better than that. My title may change, but I won’t. And it won’t just be me, you know. Five years from now, you’ll all have your own stuffy positions to contend with.”

Sylvain sighed heavily. “I already know I’ll be more than eager to come back and see you all.” He saw Byleth frown out of the corner of his eye, but didn’t turn to meet her gaze. 

Dimitri grimaced slightly and nodded. “Well, as I understand it, the festivities at the millennium festival will be of a scale far beyond anything we’ve yet seen… In other words, the perfect excuse for all of us to return here.”

Annette clasped her hands in front of her chest and squealed with excitement. “Ooh, a reunion? That sounds fun! I wouldn’t miss it for the world!”

Dimitri reached over the table and took Byleth’s hand in his own. “I’d love for you to be there as well, Professor. After all, you’re the heart of the Blue Lion House.”

She tilted a head to her other hand, the corner of her mouth twitching upward. “I’ll be there. I can’t miss out on a chance to see my Lion Cubs and admire how they have grown. I know I’ll be proud of whatever you decide to do with your lives.”

Dimitri beamed at her words. “Good. Then it’s settled. Of course… if something happens and I’m not able to attend, I’m leaving all of the logistics of organizing this reunion to you, Professor.”

She shook her head and playfully batted at his hand. “Oh no, you don’t. You have to attend.”

Mercedes nodded. “It’s true! I’m sure being a king will keep you busy, but it’s a bit early to be backing out on your own plans, don’t you think?” She giggled as Dimitri flustered.

“Yes… I suppose you are right. Silly me. I’m sorry. You have my word. I will return as well. Count on it.”

Byleth smiled softly and said, “I know I can count on you, Dimitri.” 

Some emotion Sylvain couldn’t quite recognize passed over Dimitri’s face before he nodded. “Well then, it’s settled. We’ll meet here five years from now.”

“Do I hear you guys planning a reunion?” Claude walked up and placed his hands on Byleth’s shoulders. She tilted her head back and smiled up at him. “Man, I ought to do something similar with the Deer. Millennium Festival does seem like a good excuse. Are you going to be there, Teach?”

“Well… I’ve promised. I can’t back out on it now.” She smirked at Dimitri, who nodded and smiled back.

“Then I can’t pass up an opportunity to see the lovely Teach! Do you think you’ll still be a professor here at the Officer’s Academy?”

Linhardt picked his head up from the table and murmured, “That’s a good point. What are you going to do Professor?”

She shrugged her shoulders and looked around bashfully as all of them stared at her. “I’m not sure. Rhea has already said I have a position here if I want it, but I haven’t decided on anything yet. My father has always been the one to make all the decisions…” She paused and tilted her head to look up at Claude. “I have no idea where I’ll be in five years.” 

Something that looked an awful lot like a scheming glint passed over Claude’s face and something in Sylvain’s chest tightened. “Haven’t decided yet? Well, I’m sure you have lots of options to consider. You could do anything you set your mind to, Teach! I just know it.” He squeezed her shoulders and a blush crept across her cheeks as she smiled up at him.

“Well, I’d better get back. Just wanted to give my congratulations to Felix here.” He slapped Felix’s shoulder lightly and earned a scowl from Felix. “Never would have known you had it in you.”

Byleth swatted at Claude’s hand. “Don’t tease him, Claude.” 

Claude’s lower lip pushed out into an exaggerated pout, “But look at his face! Don’t ruin my fun, Teach.” She swatted his hand again and he chuckled along with the rest of the Blue Lions as Felix grumbled under his breath. “See you around, Lions!”

As they all walked back to their rooms, Sylvain jogged slightly to catch up with Felix. With his hands crossed behind his head he joked. “Sooo… a dance competition. I’ve gotta side with Claude on this one. I never would have thought I’d see the day.”

Felix grumbled, “It’s good training for my sword technique, nothing more.”

Sylvain chuckled, “Well... you looked great out there.” Felix flustered slightly and turned away. “Byleth was loving it.”

Felix’s head shot around to look at him. “So?” He scowled at Sylvain, but the blush in his cheeks was practically begging him to tease. He figured things were a bit too rocky between them to try.  
“Nothing. I just wanted to tell you… you did a good job. Way to hold your own against Dorothea.”

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “You aren’t going to tease me like everyone else?”

Sylvain shrugged. “Nope. I know why you did it. I don’t blame you. I’m sure having some alone time with Byleth was nice. And it must feel nice that she was really proud of you.” He shrugged again and bit back a sigh.

Felix narrowed his eyes and searched his face as they paused outside Felix’s door. “She still won’t tell me what happened with you two. All she said was that you said something you shouldn’t have.” Sylvain gritted his teeth and nodded, not meeting Felix’s eye. “Did you…” Felix paused and took a deep breath. “Did you tell her… you have… feelings for her?”

Sylvain looked up with his eyebrows furrowed a slight chuckle escaping him. “That’s what you think happened?” Felix started to tense up, getting all defensive. A thought crossed Sylvain’s mind as he watched Felix tense up. “Wait… are you thinking of telling her?”

Felix’s face paled slightly and he shuffled on his feet. “Telling her what?”

Sylvain chuckled dryly and ran a hand through his hair. “Man… you are hopeless.” He turned to walk to his room, but froze and turned back around. “I would tell her soon, if I were you. The ball and the goddess tower legend are probably going to have a couple potential suitors going after her.”

Felix scoffed, but it was half-hearted and Sylvain heard the slight tremor in his voice as he muttered, “Like she would care about some silly legend.”

Sylvain shrugged and walked backward toward his door. “All anyone needs is an excuse. You heard her, she hasn’t decided what she wants to do after we graduate. You could… help her along.”

Felix opened and shut his mouth like a fish as he stared wide eyed at Sylvain. Sylvain couldn’t help the small sad chuckle that escaped him as he opened his door and shut it behind him. He leaned back against it, and slid down until he was sitting on the ground with his knees to his chest. 

_You could help her along as well…_ the thought crossed his mind as he stared at his hands. _It would certainly make daddy proud. What did he say? “A famous major Crest should have a high chance of having Crested heirs.” Something like that?_ He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. _And you wouldn’t be stuck in some loveless marriage, if you got lucky enough for her to say yes._

_She would never… and Felix would hate me. I can’t even attempt to do that to him. They both deserve better._

He stood slowly and stripped off his uniform, folding it neatly and setting it on the desk before crawling into bed. _It’ll be better to just have my fun for the last few months of the school year. Then… duty awaits._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay. The next few chapters are kicking my butt. I've had to do a bunch of rewrites, trying to have everything the way I want it. I hope you guys enjoy them!


	47. Chapter 47

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the ball ya'll! All the drama for your reading pleasure.

~Byleth~

Byleth was woken the morning of the ball to frantic knocks on her door. She stumbled out of bed and, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes, opened the door. “Good morning!” A smiling and giggling group consisting of Mercedes, Annette, Flayn, Hilda, Marianne, Dorothea, Petra, and a grumbling Ingrid stood at the base of the stairs that led up to her room. Each of the girls held their bath supplies and spare towels. Hilda carried a separate package on her hip that drew Byleth’s eye.

“Come on, Professor! There’s so much to do!” Hilda whined from the pathway. 

“It’s… still morning…?” She looked around confused.

“That’s what I said!” Ingrid turned around like she was about to leave, but Dorothea grabbed her arm and giggled.

“Oh no you don’t, beautiful.” Ingrid flushed and crossed her arms with a huff.

Byleth sighed and turned back into her room, grabbing her bath supplies and walking out with the girls. Annette came up and looped an arm through hers. She hesitantly asked, “So, why are we starting so early? The ball doesn’t start until tonight?”

Annette giggled and tightened her hold on Byleth’s arm. “Oh, you’ll see.”

They all walked into the bath house together, giggling and excited chatter filled the air. She couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face. It was so nice to see all of the girls there together. Kingdom, Empire, Alliance as well as noble, and commoner alike. Everyone was getting along so well.

Various soaps and creams were thrust into her hands and she followed whatever instructions were given to her.

“Lavender scented conditioner, to make your hair soft and shiny.” Hilda smiled as she handed it over.

“Cream to help your skin stay young and beautiful. Not that you have any problems with that, Professor.” Dorothea winked as she spread the think cream over her face.

After everyone was done in the bathhouse, they headed to Mercedes room. Hilda rushed off, stating she had something to grab first, as the rest of them piled in. Byleth offered to go and grab food as Mercedes started drying Dorothea’s long brown hair. “Yes, please!” was the chorus from the rest of the girls. In the end, Marianne and Ingrid came along to help her grab the trays with breakfast foods piled high.

Mercedes and Annette had worked together to curl her normally wavy hair. Hilda had been right, it did look soft and shiny. Annette and Dorothea had tag teamed her makeup, and when everyone was done, she hardly recognized herself. They had layered a lilac eyeshadow that brought out the color of her eyes, her cheeks looked slightly flushed, and her eyelashes looked incredibly long. 

“Wow…” She stared open mouthed as Hilda snickered.

Flayn giggled and clapped her hands as Byleth gaped at herself in the mirror. “You look like you could be a student, Professor!”

Mercedes giggled, “Well she’s certainly younger than me. So, she could be.”

“But… I don’t have anything to wear other than my…”

“Professor!” Hilda picked up a garment bag and practically sang her name. “I knew you would be too distracted to get anything to wear. I think this will fit.” She opened the bag and Byleth walked forward to run her hand along the silver dress. The back was an open lace design, similar to her tights, with a modest neckline. Not modest, however, was the slit that ran up to her upper thigh when she finally tried on the dress.

“Gorgeous!” Hilda had a hand on her hip, the elegant maroon sleeveless dress she was wearing clinging to every curve.

“Hilda… I can’t wear this. I’m a professor!”

“Yeah! A hot one!” Byleth rolled her eyes and looked back into the mirror. She had never been so dressed up, other than that one mission with the Alliance noble. It all felt so foreign, but not unwelcome. Looks had always been more about practicality. She knew she wasn’t bad-looking, but it was nice to look good just for fun.

They all walked together to the ball. The music had not started yet, so everyone was standing near the tables snacking and drinking out of fancy champagne flutes. Hilda and Dorothea practically strutted in, before walking back to drag the rest of them in as well. People were whispering and it made Byleth’s heart pound, as her hands started to sweat.

**“You’ve survived countless battles, and a ball is the thing that makes you nervous. Interesting.”** Sothis giggled in the back of her mind.

The music began to start, and due to their positions, the house leaders were supposed to start the dancing. Edelgard and Dimitri were already on the floor, dancing with people she did not recognize. Their smiles were regal as they each twirled around the floor. They each looked amazing, dressed in finery that would probably cost what she made in a year. She did notice that one future leader was noticeably missing. She leaned over and whispered to Hilda, “Where’s Claude?” 

They were standing off to the side as everyone watched the future rulers dance. Hilda giggled and said, “Look out, here he comes.” She turned her head in interest and saw Claude with a soft smile, hand outstretched. She took a step back, assuming he was going to ask Hilda or one of the other girls. Instead he reached out his hand and grabbed hers with a wink, before dragging her onto the dance floor.

“Claude!” She hissed as the heat rushed to her cheeks. “I’m a professor! You shouldn’t ask me for the first dance!” 

Claude pulled her close and moved her arms into first position. “Too late, Teach. You’ll be busy the rest of the night… I want first dibs.” Claude smirked, a wicked twinkle in his eye, and Byleth couldn’t contain her laugh as he twirled her around. 

“Gods, Teach. You look beautiful.” 

She was already blushing, due to him dragging her out here. She hoped he wouldn’t notice because of the makeup, but she knew he was observant. He was probably just trying to get a rise out of her anyway. “You can thank Hilda and the rest of the girls. It’s their handiwork.”

He chuckled softly and whispered, “Yes, but it’s you that looks so beautiful.”

Her cheeks felt so warm she feared they might melt off. She was sure Claude was going to laugh at her. She looked off the side, avoiding his intense gaze, taking in the faces as they danced around. She spotted some of her students, but everyone was a blur as Claude continued to make her laugh as they twirled around. When the song ended, Claude bowed and gave her a wink. “Thanks for the best dance of the night, Teach.”

As soon as Claude started bowing, Dimitri walked up and stepped in between them. “Professor, may I have the next dance?” 

“Of course, Dima.” She smiled and stepped into his hold. Claude had been a lot looser as he danced, a lot less formal. She could imagine it was because he wasn’t from Fodlan. Dimitri, however, was the picture of royalty. His back was straight, he never glanced at his feet, and his hold was immaculate. He was the picture-perfect prince. She supposed that was what he fought so hard to portray, hiding all of the pain and anger he truly felt.

“How are you, Dima? Are you sleeping any better?” The bags under his eyes answered the question for him, but she wanted to hear his answer anyways. 

“I’m alright, Professor. You should not worry over me. Really.”

“I will always worry over you, Dima. Even when you are a King with an entire Kingdom to rule over, I will worry.”

He smiled brightly and it made her relax somewhat. She worried about Dimitri, ever since Remire it was a constant thought in the back of her mind. Hopefully if they were able to get through the rest of the year without another incident, he would be okay. He glanced at the hand that held his and chuckled. “Professor, you are wearing the bracelet we gave you! I must admit, I worried you did not care for it because I never see you wearing it.”

She shook her head. “Oh no… I always have it with me in a pouch I tie to my side. I worry that with all the training and demonstrating I do throughout the day, it might break. I figured it was safer to have in the pouch. I really love it, Dima.”

He smiled softly and nodded. “Yes, that makes sense. I am glad to hear you like it.”

She glanced around at the people dancing around them. “Aren’t you going to dance with Edelgard?”

He shook his head vigorously and said, “No, I should think not. As a child, Edelgard taught me to dance. It was… a bit awkward, honestly. I’ve told you before that we were siblings by marriage, haven’t I?”

“That explains the care you show her.”

“Yes, well we were born and raised in different territories, without ever knowing the other existed. Yet, against all odds, for just over a year, we became childhood friends.”

“Friends?”

“Indeed. Unaware of each other’s stations or backgrounds, we met and became incredibly close. This was when she and Lord Arundel were living in the Kingdom.”

“Lord Arundel is the one who was visiting a few weeks ago, correct? The one you introduced me to?” Dima nodded and she furrowed her eyebrows. “Why were they in the Kingdom? That seems… odd.”

“They were in exile… This was a time of great turmoil within the Empire. I ran into her when visiting Lord Arundel’s residence with my father. She seemed… quite bored with everything.”

“That sounds like Edelgard.” She smirked and glanced at the princess, a look of polite neutrality on her face as she danced with a student Byleth didn’t recognize.

Dimitri nodded and his eyes looked off into the distance, like he was reliving a memory. “At first, I found her to be difficult and stubborn, but the façade quickly fell away, revealing her true self beneath… That’s around the time she taught me how to dance. Her instruction was… Oh, let’s call it strict. To put it nicely.”

“Not much has changed, then.”

Dimitri shook his head with a stern look on his face. “Professor, everything has changed. That one year before she had to return to the Empire was… so much fun. The time of my life, in many ways. Unfortunately, it can never be that way again.” He shook his head again and looked into her eyes. “It’s kind of pathetic to think about it all these years later, but can you guess what I gave her as a parting gift?”

She stared off to the side, trying to think of an answer. “A… dagger? I could see you giving a gift like that.”

His eyes went wide and he stared at her in awe. “Huh. Good guess, Professor. But I swear, it came from the heart.”

“I’m sure it did, Dima. And I’m sure she appreciated it. A dagger would be a great gift, weapons are practical.”

Dimitri chuckled softly and shook his head. “You would fit right in in Faerghus. We’ve long considered blades as tools of destiny. As a way to cut a path to a better future.” He sighed and glanced toward Edelgard. “She was being dragged all over, unable to live the life she wanted. I thought the dagger could help her cut a path to the future she dreamed of. However… that was many years ago. I’m sure she has forgotten all about the boy I was back then.” 

Byleth thought of Felix, and all the things she remembered from the short time she had with him. “Speaking from experience… I’m sure you hold a special place in her heart. Even if she may not show it.” She glanced around for Felix, but couldn’t find him. “Do you ever think about trying to reconnect?”

“I’m afraid it’s far too late for that. Things are different now. She’s different. I’m different.”

“Your Highness?” Sylvain’s voice rang out behind her. “You have been dancing with the Professor for two songs now, people are starting to talk. Do you mind if I cut in?” 

Dimitri stepped back, his cheeks pink as he shook his head. “I’m so sorry, Professor. I was so caught up in our conversation…”

“It’s alright, Dima. Go and have fun.” She smiled as he walked away. The smile fell as Sylvain stepped around to face her. “I thought I was no longer allowed to touch you. That would certainly make dancing impossible.”

Sylvain rubbed the back of his neck and frowned. “I deserve that. Please… will you just dance with me?”

She stepped into his hold and looked off to the side as they danced. She could feel his stare as they circled the floor. “I…” His voice was hesitant and she glanced up at his face. Real remorse showed all over his features and she softened, if only a little bit. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am. I never should have said the things I did.”

“No, you shouldn’t have.”

He grimaced and squeezed her hand lightly. “Thank you for not saying anything to Fe.”

She sighed and glanced around for Felix again, still not able to see him. “I don’t think you were correct. He may have felt that way when we were younger, but I don’t think he feels that way now. He keeps me at arms-length, and pushes me away if I get any closer. Sort of like someone else I know.” She stared into his eyes, and swore she saw the beginnings of tears in the corners of his honey brown eyes.

“You are right… and I really am sorry.” He took a deep breath and pulled her slightly closer to him. In a determined tone he said, “I’ve been thinking a lot about it, and I’ve realized that I can’t be who I’ve been my whole life. I’ve gotta get it together and become a man you can trust.”

“I’m not one of your hook-ups, Sylvain. You can’t just say things like that and expect me to believe you. The things you said hurt me… we were finally getting closer and you…” She swallowed as a lump formed in her throat.

His voice was soft as he leaned down and said, “I know it sounds like another one of my games, but it’s true. I’ll prove it to you. I swear.” She squeezed his hand lightly and he squeezed hers back, moving his hand to the small of her back so they were even closer.

“You know… you look… amazing.” He chuckled and shook his head.

“What, not good enough for flowery words?” She smirked and stepped a bit closer to him. She swore she could see him swallow heavily, and his cheeks looked slightly pink. 

He took a deep breath and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Words wouldn’t do it justice. Besides, you deserve more than just flowery words. I really care about you, Byleth… a lot. I never want to hurt you again.” When he straightened, she looked over his face. None of his usual mask was there, all she saw was sincerity. It was probably the most serious she had ever seen him. 

“I believe you.” He sighed and stood up straighter, a small smile pulling at his lips. “Will you tell me what started all of this? I still don’t know what I did…”

“You didn’t do anything.” He shook his head as he cut her off. “It was all me. I… realized something and I freaked out. I lashed out when I shouldn’t have. It was all me.”

“What did you realize?” She stared up at him and he held her gaze.

“May I cut in?” Ferdinand von Aegir stood off to the side. She realized that a new song was starting and she stepped out of Sylvain’s hold. Sylvain looked like he wanted to say no, but eventually he chuckled and threw his fake smile on.

“No problem. There’s lots of other beauties to dance with. See you around, Professor!” As he walked away, she finally spotted Felix in a back corner. He was staring at her, expression unreadable, before he walked away. She stepped into Ferdinand’s hold and lost track of him as they danced.

  
After dancing with several other people, she was feeling exhausted. As soon as Raphael put her down (he had basically just carried her around the dance floor instead of really dancing) she was quick to excuse herself before anyone else could ask her.

She walked out into the chill night air and shivered slightly. She walked through the courtyard in front of the classrooms, her mind not really having an exact destination. 

“Hey, Teach!” Claude’s voice rang out from where she had just come from. “Sick of being everyone’s favorite teacher?” He grinned and threw his cloak over her shoulders. She smiled in thanks. _Dresses are not made for warmth, are they? I’m going to freeze!_

She chuckled slightly and shook her head. “I doubt I’m everyone’s favorite…” she smirked at Claude “I know at least Hubert doesn’t like me.” Claude laughed and it rang through the courtyard. He was taking her somewhere, leading her over the bridge toward the cathedral. “Where are we going?”

Claude winked down at her and said, “I want to show you something. Will you come with me?”

“As long as it’s quiet, I’ll go wherever you want me to.”

Claude smirked, “That’s a dangerous way to word that, Teach.” He chuckled as they continued to walk to their destination.

~Felix~

_I will not compete with all of these people just to have one dance with Byleth._ He crossed his arms and stood in the corner, watching as everyone circled her. It was like watching a pack of wolves, fighting over a deer. Everyone was trying to rush in to be the first to ask her. She smiled and laughed as they led her around, and Felix got more and more annoyed.

_I got to dance with her for two weeks straight. Why is this so annoying?_ He groaned and waved off a girl who was attempting to ask him to dance. She probably meant well, but he wasn’t interested.

After watching her be twirled around by what seemed like the twentieth person, he gave up on the whole affair, slipping out into the slight chill of the night. He walked through the courtyard, and over the bridge toward the Goddess Tower. _Damn Sylvain and his talk of silly legends._ He wanted to find somewhere quiet, but part of him was curious to see if she would go there. A bigger part of him was curious of what promise she would want to make if they were there together.

He walked up the crumbling stairs, admiring the vines that were beginning to span the entryway. _For such a sacred place, they really don’t care for it as they should._ The sound of his steps echoed in the stairway, everything else was quiet. _I’m kind of surprised no one else is here._

He reached the top and confirmed that it was, indeed empty. He walked to the terrace, and stared out at the sea of stars before him. The lights of the monastery did nothing to dull their shine up here. He took a deep breath in and out, finally becoming relaxed. 

The sound of footsteps on the stairs brought him back to reality. He tensed, until he realized it was the same heeled boots he had become so used to. He turned toward the stairwell in anticipation, before freezing as he heard Claude von Riegan’s laugh drift toward him. A painful tightness squeezed his chest, followed by panic as he thought about the possibility of Byleth finding him here when she was coming to make a promise with Claude. He looked around frantically and spotted an alcove off to the side. He would have to listen to whatever bullshit came out of Claude’s mouth, but at least she wouldn’t see him being pathetic up here by himself.

Keeping his steps as quiet as he could, he concealed himself in the alcove. “I wanted to show you the view up here, Teach. Sometimes I sneak up here to watch the stars. It’s beautiful I promise.”

He heard Byleth gasp quietly as they reached the top of the stairs, her steps rang out as she crossed to where he had previously been standing. She whispered, “It is beautiful.” 

They were quiet for a long time, before Claude’s voice broke the silence. “Say Teach, have you heard the legend about this tower?”

“There’s a legend? I thought it was just used in the Rite of Rebirth?” Felix let out a mental sigh of relief. _She didn’t come here to make a promise with him, it’s just another one of his schemes._

Claude chuckled and Felix heard him take a few steps. “They say if a man and a woman pray for the same thing here, on this night, the goddess will grant their wish without fail.”

Byleth hummed softly and said, “I didn’t take you for one who believed in the goddess, or in legends like that.”

“Well, you’ve got me there, Teach.” Claude chuckled and Felix could hear he was nervous. “Still, it’d be a waste to pass up the chance of getting our wish granted. What do you say, Teach? Care to try?”

She paused for a moment, and Felix wondered if she would say no. “What would we pray for?” 

Claude hummed in thought before saying, “Let’s see… how about we pray for our ambitions to come true? You don’t exactly seem like the selfish type, but even you must have an ambition or two.”

Byleth hummed softly and he could hear the smile in her voice as she said, “More of a hope really…” _What is her hope?_ Felix leaned slightly closer to hear the conversation better.

“That’s what I thought. It’s the same for everyone. No one is ever completely satisfied. Everyone has something they long for. Otherwise, what’s the point of it all? Of course, same goes for me. Without even realizing it, I’ve found myself holding tight to some pretty big ambitions. If you would…” Claude paused and Felix could hear him take a few more steps “… I would love for you to share in those ambitions with me, Teach.” 

“What are your ambitions, Claude?”

Everything went really quiet and Felix strained to try and hear what was going on. After a moment, Byleth said, “I shouldn’t, Claude… I’m a professor and you are a student.” _Did he just…_ Felix’s fists clenched as he froze.

“There’s only a few more weeks until we all leave, Teach. Soon, I won’t just be a student.”

“Exactly! You’ll become the leader of the Alliance. And I will be… well I don’t know where I’ll be.”

Claude spoke softly, “Well… you could come to Derdriu?”

Byleth hummed and said, “I guess I could try to bring my father’s mercenaries. Mercenaries don’t normally have loyalties, but if your ambitions are noble… we could help you?”

Claude chuckled and said, “I think you are kind of missing my point here, Teach.”

“Then what is your point?”

Claude sighed heavily and went quiet again. His voice was soft as he finally said, “What if you stayed by my side? What if you helped me lead? You could help me fulfill my ambitions. We could create a better Alliance. Hell, a better Fodlan.”

“But… I’m just a mercenary, Claude.”

“A beautiful, powerful mercenary. One who wields the Sword of the Creator. Your tactical prowess and weapons mastery are beyond compare and you are only slightly older than me! Just imagine what we could do, Teach.”

“But… you don’t even trust me enough to tell me what your ambitions even are. I understand that you feel I could help you achieve your goals, and as your friend I would like to… but if you are saying what I think you’re saying…” She paused for a long time. “I think you should think about it a little more. I will, too. I still don’t know what I’ll do after my Blue Lions leave here, but I will consider going to Derdriu with you.”

Claude sighed heavily and sounded defeated as he said, “Well… it’s not a yes… but it’s not a no. I suppose I’ll just have to keep working harder to win you over to my side.” Felix bit his cheek to stop himself from scoffing. Claude whispered something that Felix couldn’t hear and then they went quiet again. He strained but couldn’t hear anything. _Did they leave? No… I didn’t hear footsteps._

“I suppose we should head back.” Claude’s voice startled him and he jumped slightly. “I’m sure everyone is looking for you. Will you dance with me again, Teach?”

Byleth chuckled breathily, “Of course, Claude.” Their steps echoed as they walked down the stairs, exiting the tower.

After he was sure they were gone, he stepped out of the alcove he was hiding in. He felt guilty, angry, confused, afraid… it all boiled inside of him as his brain tried to decide which one to stick with. Angry won out and his feet carried him down the stairs, over the bridge, and to the right in the direction of the training hall.

Still dressed in his formal attire, he picked up a training sword and began to go through his normal warm-ups. The strikes of his sword against the training dummy became faster and faster as he lost himself in his thoughts. _Byleth is going to go to the Alliance. She’s going to be with Claude von Riegan._ He scoffed and swung at the dummy. _He probably doesn’t even like her, he just wants to use her. He never once said, “I like you and I want to court you.” All he said was that he wanted her to help with his ambitions… whatever the hell those are._

Sweat began to drip on his brow, and he ripped off his jacket and button up, leaving him in a thin undershirt. He continued to go through the training exercises Byleth had taught him, his thoughts never quieting. _You’ve never told her you like her or that you want to court her. Why do you care what she does after you leave?_

_I just don’t want her to be with Claude. I don’t want her to be with someone who is only going to use her._ He groaned in frustration as his mind went back and forth about everything he had heard and what they would mean for the future.

The doors opened behind him and he spun around to find a wide eyed Byleth who was wearing Claude’s gaudy yellow cloak. She looked upset about something, so he tried to brush off the irritation at seeing the yellow monstrosity draped over her shoulders. “Byleth? What’s wrong?” He dropped his training sword and walked over to her.

She shook her head and her face became neutral again. “Nothing… I just… heard something weird. Sorry.” She looked him over and smirked. “How long did you last at the ball before coming here? I barely saw you.”

“Not long.” He grimaced and turned away, going toward his sword.

“I was hoping you were going to ask me to dance.”

He scoffed and picked the training sword up. “Yes, because I’m going to compete with all of the idiots fawning over you.” 

She went quiet and part of him wondered if she had left, but he wasn’t going to be an idiot and turn around. Suddenly she asked, “Can I… ask you a question?” 

Her voice was soft and hesitant. He turned to face her and noticed that she looked nervous. “I guess?” He shrugged.

“I heard about a legend about the goddess tower. Something about if you make a wish with someone it will come true…” His fists clenched and he gritted his teeth. _Stupid Claude von Riegan._   
She paused before asking, “I just wondered what you would wish for?”

“I would wish that someday I would surpass you.” Her eyes widened as he continued. “I would vow to surpass your technique, your skill with a sword, and your cunning as a warrior. I would pledge to one day make you taste defeat!”

Hurt crossed her face. The only thing that could be heard was the sounds of his heavy breathing from the exertion of his earlier exercises. She furrowed her brow and whispered, “That would be your wish to the goddess? To defeat me?” Her voice was incredulous, with a dose of hurt that made him feel even more angry.

He scoffed as anger burned in his chest. “How disappointing. If you are looking for a passionate affair like the other fools who visit the tower, you’ve got the wrong man. Go and find someone else. I’m sure Claude, the boar… hell even Sylvain! They would all be more than happy to whisper pretty words and beg for your attention. Make a wish with one of those fools.” She flinched and he turned away. 

“I’m not the little boy who would beg for your affection anymore. I swore off love and romance a long time ago. They are only distractions.” He picked up the sword and began going through his movements again. “Blades, blood, and battle. That’s what I’m made of and nothing else. I’ll always be more comfortable holding a sword than a woman’s hand.”

She whispered, “Sylvain was wrong then.”

He froze, whipping around to face her. He growled, “What?”

It was almost like an explosion went off, the neutral face was twisted with hurt and anger. “You are all so damn confusing!” She walked over to the rack and picked up a training sword. Without warning she charged him, striking hard and fast. Her nostrils flared and her eyes were deadly as he tried to hold her off. “You all act one way for a moment, and say something completely different the next. I’m sick of it!” She swept his legs out from under him, his back hitting the ground so hard the wind was almost knocked out of him.

He blinked up at her as she sat on top of him. Her dress was askew, pale thigh clearly visible, and her training sword was pointed at his throat. They were both panting as they stared at each other. “What do you want, Fraldarius?”

“What?” 

“Tell me what you want!” Her words echoed in the empty training grounds.

“I want to be stronger.”

“That’s all you want?” 

_No._ “Yes. That’s what I’ve been telling you since you got here.”

Hurt and confusion flashed across her face, before vanishing behind neutrality again. “Well, you weren’t strong enough this time.” She swiped the edge of the training sword on his throat, mimicking the moment that would surely kill him if it were an actual fight. “Maybe one day you will be.” She stood in one fluid motion and threw the training sword to the side. Without another word she walked out of the training grounds.

He laid on his back, eyes closed as he tried to quiet his breathing. _You are a fool, Fraldarius. A complete and utter fool. You're just going to let her go without saying anything? Coward._

He stood quickly and walked over to place the training swords on the rack. After throwing his shirt back on, he walked out of the training grounds and walked up to Byleth’s door. He pounded on it three times. “Byleth!” He got no answer. He pounded again. “Byleth, let me in!”

“Go away, Fraldarius.” Her voice was quiet, muffled by the door.

He pounded on it again. “Let me in, Byleth!”

“Go away, Felix!” Her voice was louder this time. He could hear how upset she was. It made his stomach drop as he stared at the door.

“Byleth, I…”

The door next door opened and Dedue stepped out. “I think you had better go, Felix.” His arms were crossed as he stared down at Felix with a look of disapproval that made Felix’s blood boil.

“You can’t tell me what to do…” He bit his tongue before calling him lapdog again. He was trying to talk to Byleth, not make her even more angry at him.

“I’m not. She is.” Dedue nodded toward Byleth’s door. “Now, I think you should go.”

Felix looked at Byleth’s door again, then back at Dedue, and then back at the door. “Byleth… I want to talk to you.”

“Go train, Fraldarius. You can’t get stronger by talking to me, can you?” Felix winced and turned away from the door. 

He walked down the steps and toward his room. Dedue’s eyes watched him until he was farther away. When Felix turned back, Dedue was walking back into his room. Byleth’s door was still closed.

_You are a fool, Felix Hugo Fraldarius. A complete and utter fool._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Claude is laying it on THICK! ....while still not giving any details whatsoever. That's what makes him Claude, right? Ambitious, but also paranoid, little sucker.


	48. Chapter 48

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is it folks... the Cause of Sorrow.
> 
> Here's some sadness to carry you into your weekend.

~Byleth~

Everything felt so conflicted when she woke the next morning. She stared at the ceiling and thought about everything that had happened at the ball. Dimitri’s talk about Edelgard, Sylvain’s sincere apology, Claude’s proposition… 

She put her fingers to her lips and smiled slightly when she remembered how he had kissed her. It had felt nice, as had the second. Claude was a great kisser, and it had been a long time since she had any sort of... touch... like that. It was obvious he wanted her. The thought of it sent a shiver down her spine.

She sighed and turned onto her stomach. After they left the tower, all she felt was confusion. _Claude is attractive, he makes me laugh, and he actually wants me around after graduation. He’s been nothing but kind to me, and we can talk endlessly about just about anything. But… I can’t shake the feeling that he’s not completely genuine. Would he still want me around if I didn’t have the Sword of the Creator?_

She glanced over at his cloak, folded neatly on her desk. _Should I go to the Alliance with him? Even if we don’t end up together, he still seems to want to work together. He says he has dreams he wishes to fulfill, and he seems to think I could help._

 _But could I really leave Jeralt?_ She sighed as she stared at the cloak. _That’s the whole reason I didn’t accept the knighthood Lord Rodrigue offered me all those years ago…_

Thinking of Lord Rodrigue made her think of Felix, and thinking of Felix made her groan. _Goddess I can’t read him. One moment we are dancing and becoming close, the next he’s telling me to go and be with someone else because he doesn’t care!_

**“I know you have quite the boy trouble, but let’s not forget that Rhea knows my song.”**

She sat up and glared at Sothis, who had appeared in the corner of the room. _“Thanks. We certainly wouldn’t want to forget that.”_

 **“Overall, I would say you had quite the interesting night.”** Sothis giggled and floated over to sit cross-legged in front of her. **“What will you do now?”**

_“What do you mean?”_

**“Will you go with the curious one after your cubs leave?”**

She sighed heavily and leaned the side of her head against the wall. _“Honestly, I wish they could just stay here forever. I dread the day they leave. They are my first real friends. They will all be too busy for their ex-mercenary ex-professor.”_

**“I know, dear one. I’m sorry.”**

_“Maybe I’ll talk to Jeralt about it when he gets back. Maybe he’ll want to leave at the end of the school year and we can go back to the way things used to be. I need to talk to him about you and ask him more questions anyway. Maybe we can sneak away for a few days and go on a fishing trip. I’m sure Hanneman or Manuela could take over my classes for a day or two.”_

**“That sounds like a good idea. I know how much you miss your father.”**

She stood with a yawn and stretched her arms above her head. _“I should get ready for the day. Maybe I’ll go and give Claude his cloak back?”_   
  
She was walking through the entrance hall with Claude’s cloak, heading toward the dining hall in hopes of finding him there, when Alois came running through. He was yelling, “Captain?! Captain, where are you?! We need the Captain!” She took off running towards Alois. When he spotted her, he asked, “Have you seen your old man?”

“No. I think he’s still on a mission. What’s going on?”

“That’s too bad. I guess it will have to be you, then…”

Her father’s voice rang out and they both turned to greet him. “I’m back. Sorry for the delay, my last mission took longer than expected.” He looked exhausted, his skin was pale and he had bags under his eyes. It was the worst state she had seen him in in a long time.

Alois bowed slightly and said, “Captain! Thank goodness you’re here. There are reports of Demonic Beasts near the chapel!”

Jeralt shook his head and scoffed. “Nonsense. I haven’t heard anything about the monastery’s walls being breached.”

“That’s why I’m heading there now, to see what’s really going on.” Alois turned to look at her. “You’ll join as well, won’t you?”

Jeralt answered for her, as he always used to before coming to the monastery. “Of course! We’re both sworn to protect this place.”

She placed a gentle hand on his arm and whispered, “Jeralt… you should rest. You just got back. My students and I can take care of this with Alois and some of the knights.”

“No, Kid. I’m coming. I want to watch you and your brats work.” He smiled softly and she nodded.

She turned back to Alois. “Where did the demonic beasts come from?”

Alois shook his head, a hand pressed to his forehead. “It’s odd… Just before they appeared, someone saw a number of students heading toward the chapel. They were apparently acting strange, as though they weren’t in their right minds. Shortly after, Demonic Beasts started to appear, one after another.”

“Were the students killed?”

Her father hummed in thought, looking down at the ground rather than at her or Alois. “The students… There’s no way those Demonic Beasts got in from outside…” He threw his hands up with a sigh.

“But none of that matters now. We need to act. Go summon your students.”

She started to run off and he grabbed her arm. “Damn it… I wanted to talk to you about something important, but there’s no time. There’s never any damn time.”

“I have some questions for you, too.” She put one of her hands on his that was holding her in place. “There will be plenty of time to talk after we save those students.” 

He nodded grimly and dropped his arm. “We’ll meet by the front gate. Hurry!”

After a quick run back to her room to drop off Claude’s cloak and throw on her mercenary garb, she ran and grabbed all of her students. They rushed on horseback to the old chapel. They were not at all prepared for what they saw. Students were screaming in terror from various parts of the rubble that used to be the old chapel. There were four demonic beasts, but they were unlike any demonic beast she had ever seen. These ones were leaner, black, and had a row of spikes down their spine and tail. The most interesting characteristic, however, was the glowing red spot on their head. They moved erratically, so unlike any demonic beast she had ever seen.

Her father’s voice rang out from beside her as they led the group. “There really are Demonic Beasts here… They’re emerging from the chapel! I’ll head that way. The rest of you, protect the students who weren’t able to get away.”

She turned to face her students. “Our priority is going to be placing ourselves between the unarmed students and the demonic beasts. Dimitri, Sylvain, and Ingrid. Go with my father to help the students closest to the chapel. The rest of us will take out the closer Demonic Beasts.”

“Yes, Professor!” Her students all nodded and the three set off with her father. She knew he would be able to keep them safe, and he would need the help.

She ran towards the closest Demonic Beasts, her students just behind her. “Mages and archers, stay out of range. Flayn, try to get to those students in the rubble.” She pointed in the direction of the cowering students. “Heal them, and then get them out of here. Ashe, go with her.”

The rallying cries of the incoming group of knights with Alois set her mind at ease. With them they should be able to pull this off. She finally reached the beast, striking out with a fire spell before striking with her sword. The hide of the beast was tough, her fire spell did very little against it. She jumped out of the way as a massive clawed paw swung at her. Dedue rushed up beside her with his shield and his axe connected on its neck, leaving very little damage. The beast roared in agony and opened its mouth, shooting out fire that set the nearby trees aflame. She had been quick enough to get out of the way, Dedue was not as fortunate. Dedue screamed in agony as he burned inside his armor.

Time froze as her chest tightened. The scene before her played in reverse as she went back a few moments to when Dedue first ran up beside her. 

She yelled, “Watch out for fire attacks! The hides are thick. I’ll create weak points, which you have to exploit.” She threw out an arm to stop Dedue. “Stay back until I can weaken it.” He nodded firmly and took a step back.

She sprinted around to the beast’s right side. Rushing in with her sword held high, she struck its side. Finally, a wound appeared, dark blood spilling from it as the beast cried out. Felix was right behind her, stabbing into the gash she had just left. She grabbed him and pulled him out of the way as the beast’s paw swung at them. When the fire flew from the beast’s mouth, everyone was ready and able to get out of the way. 

Annette let off a wind spell that didn’t do much of anything. Mercedes was able to hit the beast’s wound with a fire spell, making the wound bigger. The beast began stomping and throwing its head around. The ground seemed to tremor, and some of her students cried out. 

“I’ll run to the other side and try to distract it. You guys finish it off!” She didn’t wait to see their responses. She ran to the other side and formed a whip with the Sword of the Creator, lashing out at its side. Its head turned toward her with a loud roar, until it suddenly went still. It fell to its side with a resounding thud. 

Black magic seemed to fade from the beast slowly, and Annette screamed when the body of a student was left in the beast’s place. “The Demonic Beasts are actually students…” She whispered to herself as she walked forward to kneel down next to student’s body. She checked for a pulse and found none. She glanced at the ground and found a small fragment of polished stone. “No one touches anything. Let’s move on to the next one.”

“But… Professor… they are students.” Mercedes face was pale, her voice wavering.

“The best we can do for them is try to make it quick.” Felix’s voice held no malice, his eyes trained on the student laying on the ground. “It’s just like Miklan, they aren’t them anymore.”

“He’s right. Let’s go.” She scanned the area, her father and the small group she had sent with them had just finished off their first beasts. She could hear Dimitri’s cry of rage and she just hoped he wouldn’t act like he did in Remire. The knights were handling the other Demonic Beast, so they had one last one to deal with.

“Mercedes, go to the student.” There was a student in a black uniform, huddled behind a piece of what used to be a wall as the Demonic Beast stomped around, destroying anything in its path. Mercedes nodded and ran off as Byleth and the others rushed the beast. “Same plan as before, be mindful of fire attacks, and keep a sharp eye out. We don’t know what else they can do.” 

“We’re here, Kid.” She heard wing beats and hooves as her father and students came to join them. 

“I’ll make weak points with the Sword of the Creator, attack those when there is an opening. Quick in and out strikes, don’t linger. We’ve had a fire attack, have you seen anything else?” Her father shook his head no with a small smile as he watched her.

With a yell she rushed forward, creating a gash in the beast’s neck. It roared and tried to strike at her with its claws, but she rolled out of the way. Jeralt rushed in on horseback, jabbing the weak point with his lance. She nodded to him and ran out and around, creating a weak point on the other side.

“INGRID!” Dimitri’s voice rang through the air and she turned quickly. Ingrid’s leg was crushed underneath the weight of her pegasus, Ingrid cried out in pain as Dimitri leapt from his horse to try and get to her. The beast noticed and started toward them.

Time froze again, the scene playing in reverse. Ingrid had gone in for a strike with her lance, the beast’s paw broke the wing of her pegasus and knocked it out of the sky. The animal crushed is rider when it fell. 

When time resumed, she shouted, “Fliers, stay out of range!” She checked to make sure they listened before casting a thunder spell that struck the beast’s head. It shook its head from side to side, almost seeming confused.

The use of two Divine Pulses was beginning to slow her down. She had never used it more than Conand Tower, while they faced Miklan. She still remembered how hard it had been that third time. She wasn’t eager to see what would happen if she used it more than that. 

Her blade pierced the beast’s side again as Jeralt circled on his horse, trying to keep it distracted. She dove out of the way as the tail swung toward her, rolling back onto her feet and dropping to a defensive stance. Dimitri charged forward on his horse, his lance going straight through the beast’s neck. It let out a strangled growl before it fell.

When the Demonic Beast vanished, the body of the student was the only thing left. Jeralt rode up on her horse. “The Demonic Beasts were students… I can’t believe it.” They both glanced at their surroundings, looking for any further danger. She noticed the knights had finished off the last beast, they were checking the body of the student. “We should check the area, see if we can find any clues as to what happened here.”

She nodded her head. “We should start at the ruins of the chapel. They were all coming from there. Let me just tell my students to help the knights and I’ll join you.” The knights were gathering the bodies of the dead students and carrying them toward the entrance. 

As she walked up, her students circled around her. “You guys help the knights with the bodies. Go check in with Alois. Tell him that I sent you, and that Jeralt and I are going to see if we can find any clues as to what happened.”

Her students shuffled off quietly, their faces somber. Jeralt walked up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You are a good leader, kid. Maybe I should have let you take command of me, too.” Jeralt chuckled and ruffled her hair.

She sighed heavily and leaned against his side for a moment. “They’ve been through so much. I wish they didn’t have to see this.”

Jeralt nodded as they walked in the direction of the ruins. “That’s the hard part of leading. Sometimes the people under you suffer because of your commands. It’s always hard but…”

“Wait!” Just as they were about to duck into the ruins of the church a female voice cried out to stop them. Monica, the girl they had saved with Flayn, walked out from behind the rubble of the building. 

“Huh? Another student?” Jeralt’s eyebrows furrowed with confusion.

“I’m so glad you guys are here. Those beasts were so scary!” She ran up and latched onto Jeralt’s arm, who looked her over with concern.

“Are you injured?” Jeralt’s eyes were already scanning her to make sure she was okay.

“I… I don’t think so…” 

“Let’s get you out of here, kid. The knights will be able to get you back to the monastery with the other students.” They walked a few paces away and Jeralt said, “Run along now.”

Monica said, “Thanks, sir!” And walked around Jeralt, her hands behind her back. Byleth gasped as Monica brought out a knife and stabbed it into Jeralt’s back. Her father fell with a groan as Monica’s laugh rang out. “You’re just a pathetic old man. How dare you get in the way of my brilliant plan… you dog.” In her hand was a massive curved blade, unlike anything Byleth had ever seen before. It was dripping with her father’s blood.

The world froze as time shattered. Her hands trembled as she turned back time for the third time that day. _It’s okay… it’s not going to happen. I can fix this. Just breathe._ Time moved more slowly as she struggled to turn it back. She watched it all over again, this time backwards as pain swelled in her chest. _It’s okay… he’ll be okay._

When time resumed, the Sword of the Creator felt like an extension of her arm as she launched it at Monica. A man appeared in a purple flash of light, summoning a shield that deflected the Sword of the Creator. His eyes were completely white, his skin pale and sickly. He sneered at her as she watched in horror.

The world froze again as time shattered. _“Sothis! Again!”_

**“Byleth… you are already weak… we don’t know what this will do to you.”**

_“SOTHIS! AGAIN!”_

Time moved backward as Sothis sighed sadly. When time resumed, Byleth ran forward instead. She yelled out, “DAD!” And Jeralt turned to look at her, his eyebrows raised in confusion. “LOOK OUT!” She unleashed the Sword of the Creator, aimed for Monica. 

Again, the pale mage appeared in front of her, blocking her sword with a shield of magic. “That is enough, foolish girl.” Magic formed in his other palm, and she was too slow to completely dodge it. A ball of dark energy struck her in the shoulder, pushing her to the ground, just as Monica thrust the knife into Jeralt’s side.

Jeralt let out a grunt of pain, as he fell to his knees. Monica cried out in surprise as she turned and saw the mage. Her high-pitched voice said, “Huh? What are you doing here?” 

The mage’s voice was dark and sent a chill up Byleth’s spine. “You must survive, merely because there is still a role that I require you to fulfill.” He grabbed Monica and they both vanished.

She couldn’t walk, her limbs were heavy as she crawled to Jeralt’s side. Byleth pulled Jeralt into her lap and tried to summon healing magic to her palm, but it wouldn’t work. Jeralt whispered, “Sorry… it looks like… I’m going to have to leave you now.” His face contorted in pain and her throat tightened. It was becoming hard to breathe. Her eyes started to burn as she stared down at him, until her vision blurred and a drop of water landed on Jeralt’s cheek. _I’m... crying…_ The thought made her cry even harder.

He looked up in surprise and a pained smile split his face. “To think, that the first time I saw you cry, your tears would be for me. It’s sad, and yet… I’m happy for it.”

It started the rain, the sky seemed to cry just like she was. “Wait!” Her voice was horse as she cried above him. “I love you! Don’t leave me… don’t go!”

His smile widened as he stared up at her. “Thank you… kid.” He sighed as his last breath left his body. Byleth’s body began to shake, her arms struggled to hold Jeralt’s body to her chest. Pain welled in her chest, traveled through her throat, and then took to the air in an anguish filled cry. 

"Don’t leave me here..." She sobbed as she folded herself over his body.

~Felix~

They were helping the knight’s load the dead student’s bodies into a wagon that someone had brought from the stables. Sheets covered them as they laid side by side. The surviving students were standing off to the side, eyes still wide with horror as knights asked them questions.

It began to rain as an anguished scream sounded out behind them. _What the…_ Sylvain’s wyvern let out a pained roar as it took to the skies. He grunted and asked Sylvain, “What the hell is your wyvern doing?” 

Sylvain’s face was pale as he turned to face Felix. “Byleth…”

The boar froze where he was, standing next to Alois and another knight. Without a word he barreled past them screaming, “Professor!”

Felix’s body was moving before his mind had time to process what was happening. Playing over and over in his mind was _“I have to find Byleth… I have to find Byleth… I have to find Byleth…”_ He was faster than the others, and he was the first to break through the small patch of trees. Sylvain’s wyvern stood in the middle of the clearing. Her body was crouched protectively as her wing covered something. It growled when it saw him, warning him not to come any closer. 

The rest of the class and some of the knights broke through the tree line, weapons held at the ready. “What the hell is your wyvern doing?” Felix’s voice was shaking as he stared.

Sylvain walked forward slowly, his arms raised in a placating gesture. “Emery… baby… is it Byleth?” The wyvern growled as Sylvain stepped closer. Alois and some of the knights began to circle it and it roared as they got closer. It snapped its teeth at them, trying to get them to back away. “Emery… you gotta let us see her. Is she hurt?”

“Where is Captain Jeralt?” Alois was turning to the rest of the knights, they all looked around in confusion. “Check the rubble of the church.” A few of them ran off as Alois stood and watched Sylvain try to calm his wyvern down.

“Emery… baby… can I see her?” The wyvern let out something close to a whimper as it slowly raised its wing. 

Gasps rang out behind him as Felix froze. Jeralt was dead. And there, folded over his body, was Byleth. She was completely still, the only thing telling Felix she was even alive was her whitened knuckles that were fisted in the cloth of Jeralt’s armor. Sniffling rang out behind him, but he couldn’t turn to see who it was. All he could do was stare at Byleth. 

The boar stepped forward and lightly placed a hand on her back. “Professor?” She didn’t respond, she didn’t even move.

Alois’ voice was the quietest Felix had ever heard him as he said, “Get the Captain. We’ll take him back to the monastery. We need to inform the Archbishop.” He motioned his hand and two knights stepped forward. That was all it took to make Byleth, their normally stone-faced professor, crumble.

“DON’T TOUCH HIM!” She screamed out as she sobbed. “He’s my father…” A sob made her body tremble as she buried her face in Jeralt’s chest. “He’s all I have…” The boar retreated, his face pale and his eyes wide. Byleth let out another anguished scream and Felix felt a chill run down his spine. He was aching, watching her like this.

Rain was pouring down on them as they watch Byleth and her grief. Sylvain stepped forward slowly and put a hand on her shoulder. “By… we have to get him out of the rain…” She turned her face to him, sitting up slightly, and her eyes rolled back into her head as she fell forward. Sylvain panicked and knelt on the ground, pulling her to his lap. “By?!”

Mercedes and Linhardt rushed forward, hands glowing with healing magic. Linhardt pressed his to a wound on Byleth’s shoulder, while Mercedes put hers on her chest. After a moment Mercedes called back, “It’s magic exhaustion and shock. We need to get her out of here.”

Felix croaked out a hoarse, “Syl. Go.” Sylvain looked up at him, something like fear in his eyes as his hold around Byleth tightened. “Take your wyvern. Get them both out of here.” The wyvern let out a mournful whimper as it stared at Byleth in Sylvain’s arms. 

The boar nodded his head and said, “Yes. The Professor needs medical attention. We’ll work with the knights to get the rest of the bodies up to the monastery.”

After a moment’s pause, Sylvain whispered, “Help me get her onto Emery.” Sylvain nodded to the boar, who crouched down and took Byleth in his arms. Sylvain got into Emery’s saddle and reached down to take Byleth. He clutched at her waist as her face rested on his neck. “I’ll get her to Manuela.” His voice was weak as tears formed in his eyes. His wyvern took to the skies with a mournful roar, heading in the direction of the monastery proper.

Annette threw herself into Mercedes as they both cried. The boar bowed his head and walked over to Dedue, who was pale as he watched the wyvern fly away. Ashe had tears rolling down his cheeks as he held a sobbing Flayn. Caspar threw his arm around Linhardt as he stared in horror at Jeralt’s body. Ingrid stood by Felix’s side, a comforting hand on his shoulder. Felix could only glance at each of them for a moment before his eyes were back on Jeralt’s body.

 _I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Jeralt._ His hands started to shake as he stared. The strongest man he had ever known, the warrior he had admired since he was a child, the best fighter he knew, the man who trained Byleth… was dead. A stab to the torso was all it took to end the life of the fabled Blade Breaker. _This… can’t be real…_

Alois had tears streaming down his cheeks as he stepped forward. “Let’s get Captain Jeralt out of here.” He bent down and picked up Jeralt’s torso, as another knight took his legs.

It was going to be a long walk back.

~Sylvain~

Byleth was completely still the whole flight back to the monastery proper. The only thing that confirmed she was alive was the fact that he could feel her warm breath against his neck. She didn’t even move when he fumbled around, trying to get her off of the wyvern once they reached the aviary. One of the attendants finally came to help him and he lifted her back into his arms.

A knight spotted them as he carried her down the stairs. When the knight rushed over to see what was going on, Sylvain said, “Go and tell the Archbishop…” He swallowed and tried to keep his voice steady. “… go tell her Captain Jeralt is dead. His body will arrive with the rest of the knights.” The knight let out a strangled gasp before running in the direction of the Cathedral. 

Sylvain carried Byleth the whole way to the infirmary. People stopped to stare as he walked by, whispers he couldn’t understand were the only sound as he walked. Claude and Hilda ran up to him as he was about to reach the stairs. “What happened?!” Hilda gasped, a hand over her mouth as she stared at Byleth limp in his arms.

“Jeralt… he…” Sylvain’s voice cracked and Claude’s face paled slightly. “He’s dead.” Hilda let out a small whimper and Claude wrapped her up in a hug. Claude nodded in understanding and led Hilda away as Sylvain walked up the stairs.

Manuela stood from her chair quickly, as Sylvain walked in. “What happened?” 

Sylvain laid Byleth down on a bed and murmured, “Mercedes said it was magic exhaustion and shock.” Manuela’s hands lit up with healing magic, completely closing up the wound on Byleth’s shoulder. “Jeralt… he’s dead. We found her with his body. We don’t know what happened.”

Manuela’s face paled as she stared down at Byleth’s sleeping form. “Mercedes was right. She used an incredible amount of magic. Her body has to recover.” She ran a hand through her short brown hair. “You should take her back to her room. They will bring Jeralt’s body here for examination.” She sighed heavily and walked toward her desk to lean against it. “She shouldn’t wake up to that.” Sylvain nodded slowly and stared at Byleth. “Would you like me to get someone else to carry her?” Manuela’s voice was soft from the other side of the room.

“No… I’ll take her.” Sylvain stood and picked her up again. Her breath was warm against his neck as he carried her down the stairs and toward her room. He fumbled a bit with the door to get it open, and set Byleth on the bed before closing and locking it.

She began to stir and he rushed over to kneel by the bed. Her eyes didn’t even open, all she did was whimper, “I couldn’t save him. I tried and tried… but I couldn’t…” Tears streamed down her cheeks and Sylvain took off his gloves to wipe them away.

“Shhh… you need rest.” He ran a hand through her hair and noticed how wet and cold she was from the rain. “We need to get you out of these wet clothes so you don’t get sick.” Byleth didn’t respond. “I’m going to take off your armor pieces, okay?” Still nothing. His hands shook as he pulled off her gauntlets, knee pad, and her boots. He placed it all in the corner of the room and walked back to sit at her side.

“By?” She opened her eyes a little and looked at him. They were void of any emotion, even as more tears streamed down her face. “I…” His voice cracked and he cursed the fact that he didn’t know what to say.

“Just go.” She crawled up the bed slowly, pulling the blankets over herself.

“By… let me help… tell me how to help.” His hands shook as he stared at her back. He felt so helpless just standing there watching her crumble under the weight of her pain. _Goddess… is this how she felt after I found out about Miklan?_

“I want to be alone.” Her voice was void of any emotion, empty and hollow. 

A tear slid down Sylvain’s cheek as he stood and opened the door. He glanced at her one more time before shutting it behind him. He leaned against the door and slid down it, his knees to his chest as he sat on the cold ground. He stared out into the rain for a long time, not knowing what to do. _Useless… your absolutely useless._

After a while, Felix and Dimitri came running up to him, their splashing footsteps ringing on the wet pavement. “Professor Manuela said you brought her to her room.” Dimitri’s voice was quiet as he stared up at Sylvain from the bottom of the stairs. “Is she alright?”

Felix scoffed half-heartedly, eyes never leaving Byleth’s door. “What do you think, Boar? Her father just died.”

“She said she wants to be alone. She told me to leave.” All he could manage was a whisper and both of them were quiet as they stared at him.

Felix groaned in frustration. A trembling hand ripped through his wet hair as he turned away. “What are we supposed to do?!” He turned back to Sylvain and started to walk up the steps. “Move. I’m going in to check on her.”

Dimitri put a hand on Felix’s shoulder halting his steps. “Felix, if the Professor has asked to be alone, we should respect her wishes.”

“Don’t touch me, BOAR!” Felix’s voice rang out as he flinched away from Dimitri. 

Anger flashed across Dimitri’s face as his fists clenched. “We are all worried about her, Felix...”

“Why won’t you just leave her alone?!” Felix got into Dimitri’s face, nostrils flaring as he yelled at him. “Stop walking on your hind legs. You’re not fooling me. I know what you are. Stay away from her!”

Dimitri’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, before he took a step back. “Hind legs? What are you talking about?”

“The Dimitri I know died in Duscur with my brother. You are just an animal wearing his skin.” Felix clenched his fists. His body shook with rage as they stared at each other. “I don’t want you near her. You’re not going to take her down with you. Especially not when she’s vulnerable like this.”

“Fe…” Sylvain stood and walked down the steps to grab Felix’s arm. “That’s enough. By doesn’t need any more stress right now.” Felix turned his head to look at him and Sylvain watched as he visibly deflated.

Dimitri face was full of sorrow as he whispered, “I’ll go. Let me know if she needs anything.” Sylvain nodded to Dimitri, who turned and walked away.

Sylvain wrapped his arms slowly around Felix as Felix’s body continued shaking. Felix whispered, “We let her down, Syl.”

“I know.” Tears streamed down his cheeks as the rain continued to pour down on them. “I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I cry while writing this? Yes. 
> 
> Was it worth it? Hopefully.


	49. Chapter 49

~Felix~

He and Sylvain had barely left Byleth’s door since Jeralt’s murder yesterday afternoon. They both slept sitting up against the wall the last night, not wanting to miss Byleth if she decided to come out. Felix kept trying the door, but she had gotten up to lock it at some point, making it impossible to go in and check on her. 

Any time someone knocked, they wouldn’t get a response. And there were plenty of people who tried. Seteth was one of the first. He spoke through the door trying to get Byleth’s opinion for what to do with her father’s body, and what type of service they should have for the funeral. He only got silence. The archbishop herself even came to knock on the door. She spoke softly, trying to coax Byleth out, but she received no reply. After thanking them for looking out for “the sweet child” she bowed to them and left.

The Blue Lions all tried different tactics. Mercedes, Annette, and Flayn baked her some sweets. Dedue prepared a meal from Duscur. Ashe tried to bring her a book. Dimitri, Ingrid, and Caspar all asked her to train with them. Linhardt offered his favorite pillow… which was weird. But at least he tried instead of just sleeping. Everyone was met with the same silence.

Students from the other houses had come by as well. Hilda and Claude brought some flowers, which after receiving no answer, they left by the door. Bernadetta, the weird recluse from the Black Eagles, threw a stuffed bear at the door before running away screaming that he was too scary. Edelgard brought a box of sweets and tried to talk to Byleth through the door. She sighed sadly when she got no reply and left with her head bowed. It was humbling to realize how many people actually cared about Byleth. 

Felix stood with a huff. It was past sunset, and Byleth still hadn’t come out of her room. They hadn’t heard a sound. No crying, no movement, nothing since Felix had gotten there. “That’s it. I’m kicking in the door.”

“Don’t, Fe.” Sylvain had bags under his eyes and looked almost as miserable as he had been after Miklan. His voice was tired and strained. “If she wants to be left alone, we have to leave her be.”

“It’s been almost two days since she’s had anything to eat or drink! What if she’s hurt? What if she needs help?”

Sylvain looked away from him, out over the pathway. People had been walking past Byleth’s door all day, everyone whispering and staring. “It won’t make her feel better if you break down the door, it will only be for your own peace of mind.”

“But…” He was interrupted when Mercedes, Annette, and Flayn walked up to them. Each of them held bedrolls in their hands.

“We brought these for you, and thought we would join.” Mercedes smiled softly and handed each of them a bedroll. “Has she opened the door at all? Have you heard anything?”

Sylvain smiled a little and bowed his head in thanks. “Nothing yet, Mercedes. We appreciate the thought.”

“I can’t believe this happened to the Professor.” Flayn’s eyes filled with tears as she laid out her bed roll down the walkway. “Now more than ever I realize how fortunate I am that she was able to find me. I can’t imagine what would had happened if you guys hadn’t saved me.” She stared at the door and her lip started to tremble.

“It’ll be okay, Flayn.” Annette pulled the younger girl into a hug. “We’ll be right here, waiting to help whenever she decides to come out. We just have to give her time. Right Mercie?”

“Right Annie. It has to be hard for the Professor. The captain was the only person she had all of her life. It’s hard to lose the people you love.” She put down a bag she had been carrying and lit a candle that she had brought out. After lighting the candle, she brought out some sort of crafting… thing. Felix wasn’t sure what it was.

“Enough of this nonsense. She hasn’t eaten in almost two days. Don’t you think we should do something?!” Everyone looked toward him with pity. He wrinkled his nose and turned away. “She shouldn’t be wasting away in there by herself.”

“You just have to give her time, Felix. Everyone grieves differently.” Mercedes voice was calm as she tried to soothe him, but he brushed her off.

“I know you want to help, Fe. Just be patient.” Sylvain was already laying in his bedroll and shutting his eyes. _Did he even sleep last night?_

Dedue, Dimitri, Ashe, and Ingrid walked around the corner from the direction of the classroom. Each of them were holding bedrolls. “It seems we were not the only ones to have this idea, Dedue.”

“Everyone is worried for the Professor, Your Highness. I am not surprised.”

“Can we join you guys?” Ashe looked at Felix directly, like he was really asking permission from him. He might have made the boar leave, but Sylvain answered before he could say anything.

“Go ahead, guys.” Sylvain waved a hand over his shoulder. “I’m sure she would appreciate it.”

Ashe rolled out his bedroll in front of his door, two down from Byleth’s, before saying, “I should go and tell Caspar and Linhardt. I’ll be right back.” He ran off with a grin on his face.

“Flayn?” Seteth’s voice rang out from down the pathway and Flayn grimaced as Felix rolled his eyes. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Seteth finally spotted them and his face was stern in the lamplight as he walked toward them. “Flayn, what are you doing? I was worried about you. You can’t just leave your room without telling me after everything that has happened.” He looked at the rest of them and sighed. “This is hardly appropriate. Please, return to your rooms.”

“Brother! We owe the Professor our lives! Stop being ridiculous. This is hardly the time to be concerned about propriety.”

Felix stood and crossed his arms. “You can’t make us leave.”

Seteth sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. When he brought his hand down, his face was surprisingly sad. “I know you care for your Professor, I worry for her as well. But she would not want you to catch cold out here for her sake.”

Felix scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Don’t be stupid. This is just like camping on any mission.”

“If it helps, Sir. Ashe and I occupy these two rooms.” Dedue indicated to their rooms behind them. “If it becomes too cold, we can move inside.”

Flayn rushed down the steps and grabbed Seteth’s hand. She whined, “Please, Brother?”

Seteth smiled sadly and shook his head. “Alright. As you wish. Please be safe…” He narrowed his eyes at all of them “… and be on your best behavior.”

Felix waved him away with a scoff, before setting his bedroll right in front of Byleth’s room. _Ridiculous._ After laying down, he turned his head to look at Byleth’s door. 

_Just… please be okay._

  
~Byleth~

Her body was in her bed back in her room, but her mind was in Sothis’ throne room. She was on her knees at the foot of the throne, her head resting in Sothis’ lap as she hummed softly and stroked her hair. 

**“Your lions, they worry for you. You should let them in.”**

_“I can’t.”_

Sothis continued humming, the feeling of her small fingers in her hair was strangely comforting. It was strange that she could feel Sothis’ touch here. Maybe it was all just her mind, maybe watching the death of her father happen repeatedly in front of her had finally made her completely insane.

 **“I resent that thought.”** Sothis smacked her cheek softly with a click of her tongue, before going back to her earlier ministrations. **“You must go back soon. I fear you have been here far too long.”** When Byleth didn’t offer a reply, Sothis sighed. **“I’m sure your father’s burial will be happening soon. Do you not wish to go? Do you not wish to say goodbye?”**

She pondered the idea for a moment. She had never really been to a funeral. Whenever one of the members of their company would die, depending on their story, most of the time they would just build a pyre and drink to their memory. Most of them didn’t have anyone to be sent to for burial. All they had was their company. The mercenaries were their form of family, even if she couldn’t feel any form of real attachment back then. 

She really needed to check on her father’s men… or would they be her men now? Would they want to stay with Jeralt gone? They still needed to be paid. They had probably at least heard the news by now. 

She missed her father.

_“Is there an afterlife, Sothis? If you are the goddess of Fodlan… is there an afterlife? Do you think my father is somewhere with my mother right now?”_

**“I wish I could tell you, dear one.”** Sothis stroked her cheek lightly, and Byleth shut her eyes. **“All I know is that he loved you dearly, and that you loved him. That is what matters.”**

 _“That was the first time I remember telling him I love him… loved him? No… love him. I still love him.”_ Her throat tightened as pain started to creep into her chest. She willed it away as she wrapped her arms around her knees as she brought them to her chest. _“What good is it to have the power to turn back time if I can’t even save the only person in the world who loves me? What kind of person does that make me? What kind of daughter does that make me?”_

**“If turning back the hands of time was not enough to save his life, you must accept what came to pass was fate.”**

_“It wasn’t fate that killed my father, it was Monica. I have to find her… and that mage that could stop me from changing it. Our enemies will pay.”_

**“Agreed. We cannot let the wicked ones go free.”**

_“They have to pay for what they’ve done, Sothis. They have to pay for taking him away.”_

Sothis was quiet for a long time. Eventually she whispered, **“Then you must leave here. You will need your strength.”**

Byleth focused for a moment, until she opened her eyes to her room. Fatigue hit her immediately, and the effects of not having eaten or having anything to drink for a while were immediately noticeable. _How long has it been?_

“…leth if you don’t open up this door RIGHT NOW, I’m going to break it down!” Felix’s voice filtered through her door and she let out a sigh.

“Fe… leave her alone…” Sylvain is trying to calm him down, as usual. _Not much has changed then._

She stood and started walking toward the door, listening as Felix yelled, “It’s been three days! She hasn’t left the room, eaten, or had anything to drink in THREE DAYS. What about the funeral? What if she…”

She pulled the door open and they both froze, turning quickly to look at her. “When is it?”

Felix stared at her, mouth gaping and eyes wide. He held a tray of food in his hand and Sylvain still had a hand on his elbow like he was trying to pull him away. She looked to the right of her door and noticed that the rest of her students were in various phases of standing after realizing she had opened the door.

“When is...” Felix continued to stare at her like she had grown a second head.

“When is Jeralt’s funeral?” Her voice sounded hollow, even to her. There was a sense of dullness that she hadn’t felt in a long time. It felt so much easier than the pain that she was experiencing before she spent so much time in Sothis’ throne room. _Maybe I can just stay like this…_

“It’s in two hours, Professor. Seteth planned a small service and Rhea will lead the proceedings. They tried to ask your opinion, but you were… indisposed.” Dimitri bowed as she looked over at him. He had a smile on his face, but his eyes were sad.

“Alright.” She nodded once and looked them all over. “Will you all be attending?”

“W-will you be attending, Professor?” Ashe walked forward slowly, looking at her like someone would look at a spooked horse, his eyes were wary and his voice was gentle. _I’m not the spooked horse… if anything they are_. She looked down at herself and her heart twisted. She looked away quickly, and pinched her arm to combat the emotion.

“Well I’m still covered in my father’s blood. I probably shouldn’t show up like this.” Ashe’s face paled and he stepped back, running into Dimitri’s chest. Dimitri grabbed his elbow to steady him. “I’ll go to the bath house and get cleaned up first. Feel free to do as you wish.” She waved her hand in the air like she normally did to dismiss them and walked back into her room. 

She caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror on her dresser and winced. No wonder they look spooked. Her skin was covered in splotches of dried blood. Her eyes were dull, with dark bags underneath them. Her skin was pale, and she had lost a bit of weight after not eating for… _three days? Is that what Felix said?_

She picked up her bath supplies and turned back toward the door. Felix and Sylvain still stood in the same spot, staring at her. “Do you need something?”

“You are being weird. Stop it.” Felix’s eyes narrowed and Sylvain elbowed him. He turned on Sylvain and growled, “What?! She is.” 

Sylvain rubbed the back of his head and whispered, “By… we are worried about you… we’ve been here for three days trying to get you to open the door and…”

She cut him off before he could finish his thought. She had no desire to hear about the Lions and their pity right now. It would be too much. “I’m sorry to trouble you.” Sylvain winced, and the muscle in Felix’s jaw twitched. She stood still, waiting for them to move out of the doorway so she could get through. They didn’t move, they just continued to stare at her. “I need to bathe.”

Sylvain’s voice was pleading as he whispered, “By…”

“Please move.” They looked at each other, back to her, and then back at each other. Fed up with waiting, she pushed through them. Long strides took her in the direction of the bath house. Her limbs were sore from disuse, muscles tight from the Demonic Beasts they fought a few days prior. Her hand twitched at her side. The desire to head to the training hall instead of the bath house was tempting before she decided against it.

She rinsed with water from a spare bucket before stepping into the bigger bathing pool. An involuntary sigh of relief left her as she entered the magically heated water. She tilted her head back against the side and closed her eyes. 

_“How am I going to do this, Sothis? How am I going to face everyone?”_

**“They are not foes, Byleth. They are your friends. They are concerned for you.”**

Her jaw clenched and she put her hands over her face. _“I don’t want their pity or guilt. I want my father.”_ Sothis said nothing, but Byleth could feel her paying attention. _“Can we turn time back further? We could go back to when you first woke up, and avoid coming to the monastery. I’ll convince Jeralt to say no and he won’t…”_

**“Byleth, stop. Even if we had that sort of power, you would not really wish to do that. Think of all that has happened since you entered the monastery the first time. Think of all of the emotions you have experienced! Think of the friends you have made!”**

_“The friends that will leave in less than three months. The friends that aren’t really my friends at all… they are my students, nothing more. I will be alone. I have nothing left.”_

**“You don’t believe that.”**

_“Don’t I?”_ Her eyes started to burn, and she dipped her head under the water in an attempt to make the feeling go away. _Ashen Demon. Ashen Demon. Ashen Demon._ When her lungs started to burn, she stood and filled her lungs with air. Her eyes no longer burned. The rogue feeling had passed.

She dressed in black leggings, a black long sleeve shirt, and her grey coat before heading to the Cathedral. She noticed her students, and some of the other houses’ students as well, scattered amongst the many knights that had shown up to pay their respects. Leonie, the girl who had the weird obsession with her father, was sobbing in one of the pews. Marianne and Hilda were both trying to comfort her as a pale faced Lorenz sat nearby.

When the Archbishop spotted her, she smiled softly and walked toward her. They met in the middle of the aisle, heads in all directions had turned to watch them. Or maybe they were just watching her. 

“Sweet child, it is good to see your face again.” Byleth nodded stiffly with her hands crossed behind her back. “I am filled with grief at the loss of our most celebrated knight. Jeralt was an ally of many years… and also a dear friend.”

“If you were a dear friend, why did he leave the monastery?”

Rhea flinched minutely, if Byleth hadn’t been analyzing for a reaction she would have missed it. “He fell in love with one of the nuns here at Garreg Mach. Their love produced a child… whom she died giving birth to. It was her decision. She weighed her life against that of the child’s and, in the end, implored me to save the child. Your father… never truly accepted that decision. He took the child—took you—and disappeared without warning.”

_“So, Jeralt never accepted that Sitri gave her life for mine. He would have preferred it if she lived.”_

**“I do not think that is what she means.”**

“Jeralt will be buried by Sitri, correct?” Rhea nodded and Byleth bowed. “Thank you. I will go and sit with my students.” Rhea opened her mouth, like she wanted to say something more, but Byleth sidestepped her and walked toward the front pews. Her students all looked at her expectantly, until their expressions turned into something like disappointment when she slid into the empty pew just behind them. She sat up straight, her nails digging into her thighs as she stared at Rhea in front of the altar.

At the sound of many footsteps, she turned her head to the back of the cathedral and saw that her father’s crew had just walked in. They spotted her and immediately walked over. Her father’s right hand, a man named Joel, sat beside her as the rest of them slid in the pews. “Hey Boss.” She winced slightly, and Joel smiled sadly. “We are sticking with you, Kid. That’s what the boss would have wanted.” She nodded and swallowed around the lump in her throat, willing her face to remain impassive.

As Rhea started the service, Joel slung an arm over her shoulder and bent down to whisper in her ear. “We’re goin’ to the tavern in town after this to give the boss a real send off. You’re comin’, right?” She sighed in relief, the thought of getting drunk and telling stories sounded a million times better than sitting here in the Cathedral as everyone stared at her. She nodded stiffly and Joel’s face lit up with a big goofy grin. 

He kept his arm around her shoulders, and she realized she didn’t mind the contact. She had missed her father’s crew. Life was so much simpler with them. They respected her father and they respected her. They followed orders and fought with everything they had. She didn’t have to watch out for them at every second, because they knew what they were getting into. They weren’t students who had the rest of their noble lives ahead of them, with territories to protect and Crests to pass down. They were warriors who realized that every day could be their last. It was a somber truth, but one that was comforting all the same.

_“I’ll go and get drinks with the crew, and then I should probably go and clear out Jeralt’s things. They’ll need a replacement Captain soon.”_

**“Didn’t your father say he was going to leave something for you?”**

Her head jerked up and a few people turned to cast wary glances at her. _“I… I forgot. I can’t believe I forgot.”_ Her hands started to shake and she put them under her thighs so no one would see. _“I’ll go to his office tonight and look. Maybe I can find his journal! I always used to watch him write in it as a child. Maybe that will hold answers to my questions.”_

When the service was over, she clocked a lot of people that were coming toward her. She stiffened, and Joel put a hand on her elbow. He whispered, “Let’s get the boss out of here.” The crew members in the crew behind her filtered out and created a bubble around her as she walked toward the exit. Most of the people in the crowd were too intimidated to try and fight through the barrier of hardened mercenaries… Most.

“Did you eat yet?” Felix’s brusque tone grated on her nerves as she slowly turned to face him. 

“No. Goodbye.” 

She started to turn back toward the exit until she heard Felix say, “Make sure she eats something. She hasn’t eaten in three days.”

Joel started to answer, but she raised a hand to stop him. “I don’t need a keeper, Felix. Leave me alone.”

His eyes narrowed and he clenched his fists. “Jeralt asked me to look out for you.” She narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists as he continued. “If you continue to act like a fool and not take care of yourself, I will continue to act as your “keeper”.” His tone was mocking and he rolled his eyes at the last word.

“That’s enough, Fe.” Sylvain walked up to stand at his right side, and Dimitri walked to his left.

Dimitri nodded. “The Professor does not deserve to be spoken to in such a manner. It would be in your best interest to stop.”

Felix turned sharply to face Dimitri. Fury was written plainly on his face. “And what are you going to do, Boar? Make me?”

“No, but I will.” Her voice was cold, and all three of them flinched at the tone of it. “You are my student. You will give me the respect that I deserve as your Professor. If you do not, you can find yourself a new one. Am I understood?” _All you want is to be stronger anyway, right? Shouldn’t bother you to transfer classes. Though you know no one will be able to teach you like I can. They also won’t put up with your bullshit._

Felix scoffed and stormed away, her mercenary crew staring daggers as he passed. Sylvain switched between watching her and watching him, looking indecisive. “If you wish to follow him, go.” She waved her hand toward the exit. Hurt spread across Sylvain’s face before he dipped his head and walked through to the exit.

Dimitri shuffled his weight awkwardly, while he stared at her. “Professor, may I speak with you for a moment? I promise not to take up too much of your time.”

She turned to Joel and said, “Wait for me by the entrance of the monastery. I’ll only be a moment.”

Joel nodded and waved his hand to dismiss the rest of the crew. “Sure thing, Boss.”

She turned back to Dimitri. “How can I help you, Dimitri?” 

He stared at her for a moment, before dropping his gaze to his feet. “I wished to say I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what happened to Jeralt, and I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything to stop it.” She nodded and he reached out a hand and placed it on her forearm. “I’ll cover for you with Lady Rhea and everyone else. We’ll be waiting for you, whenever you are ready to return to us.” His sky-blue eyes stared into hers and her eyes started to burn. She cleared her throat sharply and took a step back.

“Thank you, Dima.”

“Professor… if I may…” he stepped closer to her again and pulled her into a stiff hug. He whispered, “I don’t believe it’s a sign of strength to just keep moving forward no matter what. Taking the time to grieve those we’ve lost…” her heart twisted as his voice cracked slightly “… there is strength in that too. That’s what I think anyway.”

He released her and she nodded stiffly, folding her hands behind her back. His voice was soft as he continued. “I experienced a similar pain four years ago in Duscur. If I can do anything to help you, Professor, please let me know.” He glanced around to be sure no one was nearby before he leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “Seteth is in the process of gathering knights to search for the enemy. We found the dagger after Sylvain took you back to the monastery. I’ll do my best to keep you informed.”

“It was Monica…” She clenched her fists, her voice coming out as more of a growl. “I watched her do it.” 

Dimitri’s eyes narrowed as he straightened. “I will speak with Seteth and the Archbishop. I will let them know.”

“I have to find her, Dima.”

Something dark flashed through his eyes as he nodded. “We’ll find her, Professor. I swear it.” He bowed to her and walked quickly toward Seteth and Rhea, who still stood near the alter. 

She walked out quickly, not wishing to be stopped by anyone else.

~Sylvain~

“If you wish to follow him, go.” Her voice was cold and her eyes were empty. It was almost like staring into the face of a china doll. It was so reminiscent of when he had first seen her in his father’s office all those years ago. All the warmth and expression that she had developed in the last several months was completely gone. A pang of hurt gripped his chest as he lowered his head and made his way through the members of her father’s… or her?... mercenary crew toward the exit.

_It’s not like you have done anything to make yourself worthy of her trust anyway. You can’t blame her for being cold toward you. But… what’s up with her talking to Felix like that?_

If she had been cold with him, she had been frozen with Felix. He was definitely missing something. Felix hadn’t mentioned anything in the three days they had stood watch outside Byleth’s door. He figured Felix’s distress was just due to his feelings for Byleth… though he had been especially frantic. 

_Speaking of frantic…_ Felix was predictable, his storming off resulting in him running into the training grounds. He was already beating the shit out of a training dummy when Sylvain got there. His movements were erratic. There was no real technique in his swings, and he grunted in frustration with each blow to the dummy.

“Geesh… what did the dummy do to you?” He had tried to keep his tone light, but it sounded strained. He hoped Felix wouldn’t notice in the state he was in.

“Shut up, idiot.” Felix didn’t even turn to look at him, still swinging like a madman at the poor training dummy. “Where does she get off, acting like that? Telling me to find a new professor…” He scoffed, but Sylvain heard the catch in his voice. He was sad, not angry. _Well… maybe still angry. Let’s be real. It’s Felix._

“She just lost her father, Fe. And it’s Byleth, the girl who doesn’t know anything about emotions. What did you expect?”

“Not this.” Felix dropped the training sword and it clattered on the ground.

“What… happened between you two? She was cold with everybody, but she seems especially frigid with you.”

“I messed up.” Felix’s voice was so quiet, Sylvain had to step forward to even hear. When Felix turned, Sylvain realized just how bad it was. Felix looked visibly distraught, eyes red rimmed, lips set in a straight line. “I messed up, and now there’s no way I can ever fix it. Her father is dead, and she’s back to…” Felix waved his hand wildly in the air “…whatever the hell that is.” He groaned and ran his hands over his hair.

“Aren’t we a pair?” Felix’s eyes narrowed to a glare as Sylvain chuckled darkly. “We might just be the worst friends in history.” His vision blurred as tears pricked at his eyes. He shook his head and rubbed the back of his sleeve over his face. “What are we going to do?”

Felix’s face fell as he stared down at the floor. Silence filled the room as they contemplated the hopelessness of their situation. Finally, Felix sighed and straightened. “We’ll wait for her to come back from the tavern and keep an eye on her. We’ll try to be there for her when the mask cracks.” Felix looked up at the ceiling and swallowed thickly. “Even hers has to crack eventually. She hasn’t experienced emotions before… grief might destroy her.”

They found a spot to wait in the marketplace, next to a wall that they could sit on as they waited. They snacked on food they bought from the stalls as they kept watch for blue hair.

Finally, after a couple hours, Byleth and the mercenaries returned. It was already getting dark, so it was easy to duck behind the wall and avoid detection. Felix whispered, “I just want to make sure she’s safe. She’ll make us go away if she sees us.” 

The mercenaries said goodbye and headed off to the knight’s quarters where they were staying. He and Felix followed Byleth all the way through the entrance hall, and through the reception hall, to the stairs to the second floor. After waiting for her to make her way up, they followed. She had gone into Jeralt’s office. Sylvain’s heart twisted as they sat against the wall outside the office.

Seteth walked out of his office with a stack of papers, and paused. He stared down at them with an eyebrow raised. Felix nodded his head toward the door of Jeralt’s office just as the sound of something dropping echoed through the hallway. Seteth nodded and walked away without a word. He was probably used to them playing guard dog by now. 

After a couple minutes of sitting in the hall, Byleth let out a cry of frustration and various banging sounds echoed through the door. Felix shot a glance at him before bolting upright and opening the door. 

Byleth turned to glare at them as soon as they entered. One candle burned on the desk, and the room was in shambles. Books were scattered on the floor, a bookcase was askew, and papers had been flung all over the desk. Byleth held a leather-bound book in one hand, and held a small leather pouch in the other. 

She turned to face them and growled, “What the hell are you doing here? Get out!” She staggered slightly, obviously inebriated.

“We are here to make sure you don’t do anything stupid.” Felix crossed his arms and glared right back at Byleth.

She ran a hand through her hair and let out a long-suffering groan. After a moment she threw the leather-bound book and the pouch on the floor and yelled, “He told me NOTHING! He was keeping secrets from me my entire life!” Angry tears streamed down her cheeks as she glared at them. “Why wouldn’t he tell me? Was he that scared of me?!”

Sylvain rushed forward and tried to pull her into a hug, but she batted him away. “What are you talking about? Jeralt wasn’t scared of you, he loved you.”

She growled, “You should all be scared of me.” His throat tightened and he looked over at Felix who looked equally distressed. “I’m probably not even human! You should all be scared of me!”

“What are you talking about?” Felix’s voice was sharp as distress turned to anger. “Of course, you’re human. Don’t be a fool. You’re just drunk. You need food and sleep.”

She whipped her head toward him and in an icy tone asked, “Can you be human without a heartbeat or emotions?” 

She was starting to scare him. Sylvain whispered, “By… I know you have a hard time with emotions, but that doesn’t mean you are heartless or anything.”

She turned her head to look up at him and said matter-of-factly, “No, Sylvain. I don’t have a heartbeat.”

All he could do was stare at her in confusion. Felix was the one who finally responded, “That’s impossible. You would be dead.”

Without any warning, she grabbed one of his hands in her own. Before he could pull away, she placed his hand over her heart. He felt nothing. Again, all he could do was stare at her in confusion. He stared at his hand on her chest for a moment before whispering, “How…?” He ducked down and put his ear over her heart, trying to hear something. _She can’t not have a heartbeat. She’s right here, living and breathing. How can she not have a heartbeat?_

He stared at a confused Felix. “She doesn’t. I can’t feel or hear anything.” Byleth stepped away from him and turned her back. Her shoulders were rigid and she had her arms wrapped around herself. He realized she was probably worried about what they were thinking of her. “By, I’m not scared. I’m confused. Why don’t you have a heartbeat? Has it always been like this?”

Her tone was softer now. “It’s always been like that. My father made me swear to never tell anyone. He was the only one that knew.”

Felix hesitantly asked, “Can I feel?” Byleth turned slowly with a heavy sigh. She stepped forward and repeated what she had done with him. Felix stared at his hand on her chest and whispered, “Why don’t you have a heartbeat? I don’t understand.”

Byleth bent down and picked up the book she had dropped. She flipped through the pages until she settled on one and practically threw it at Felix. She turned away from them and leaned against her father’s desk. Sylvain walked forward and tried to put a hand on her shoulder, but she brushed it off.

Felix stared at the page for a while before reading out with a shaking voice, “Day 20 of the Horsebow Moon. All is cloudy. I can’t believe she’s dead. Lady Rhea said she died during childbirth. But is that the truth? And still, the child she traded her life for does not make a sound. Didn’t even cry at birth.” Sylvain noticed Byleth started to shake a little. Her knuckles were weight where she gripped her sides.

“Day 25 of the Horsebow Moon. It’s raining. The child doesn’t laugh or cry. Not ever. Lady Rhea says not to worry, but a baby that doesn’t cry… isn’t natural. I had a doctor examine the child in secret. He said the pulse is normal, but there’s no heartbeat. No heartbeat!”

“Day 2 of the Wyvern Moon. It is sunny. I feel I must take the child and leave. But the church is always watching us… I don’t know what Lady Rhea has planned. I used to think the world of Lady Rhea. Now I’m terrified of her.”

“Day 8 of the Wyvern Moon. More rain. I used the fire that broke out last night to fake the child’s death. Lady Rhea is in a state over the news. But I can’t change what I’ve done. I’ve got to take the child and leave.”

Felix dropped the book on the desk and Sylvain noticed his hands were shaking. Felix whispered, “What did she do to you that would make it so you don’t have a heartbeat?” Byleth still wouldn’t face them. Felix stepped toward her and said, “That’s why you said you would be in danger if she knew about what you can do with the Relics. That’s why you said you couldn’t trust her.”

Byleth turned her head and growled, “I didn’t know until just before you walked in. Jeralt never told me anything! All he said was not to trust Rhea. He kept it a secret this entire time!” Her voice shook with anger as she said, “I didn’t know anything about him until we came here. I learned more from Rhea about him than he ever told me. Did he even care for me?! You read it! He called me “the child” never “my child” or “our child”. He said I was unnatural!” 

She shook her head and one tear streamed down her cheek as she grumbled, “Rhea said he couldn’t bear the fact that Sitri gave her life for mine. He would have preferred it if I died and she lived.”

There it was. The hurt and grief that they had been so worried about. But it was so different from anything they could have imagined. _How could he have not told her? What was Jeralt thinking?_

“Stop!” Felix practically shouted, trying to get her to stop spiraling right before them. He stepped forward and grabbed her arms.

Sylvain moved just behind Felix. “That’s not true. Jeralt loved you. It may not have been in the way others show love, but he did. I know it.” 

Her face was a painful mixture of hurt and anger that stabbed right through his chest. Her body shook as she whispered, “I don’t know how to do this. I’m all alone now.”

Felix shook his head. “You aren’t alone. We’re right here.”

The anger flared on her face as she pushed him away. “For the next couple weeks until all of you move on with your lives! What am I supposed to do then?! I can’t be here alone with Rhea. I don’t know what she did to me. I don’t know what she wants from me! I don’t even know what I am!”

“Then you can come home with one of us, By.” It left his mouth before he even considered what it meant. At Felix’s stare he continued with, “The archbishop can’t come after you if you are under the protection of one of our families. Rodrigue would do it in a heartbeat, and my parents owe you at least that much. Hell, you could probably gain protection from the future King of Faerghus if you talked to His Highness about it.” Felix glared, but Sylvain just shook his head. _There’s more at stake than some petty squabble between those two. If she needs protection, who better than a king?_

Byleth turned away from them again. Felix said in a soft tone, “He’s right, Byleth. You can do whatever you want. We’ll help you no matter what. That’s what friends do.” 

She scoffed and looked at each of them. “You want me to come and be your knight now that my father’s no longer an issue?”

Felix growled, “It’d be better than going to Derdriu with Claude.”

Her eyes widened slightly as she searched his face. “How did you know about that?”

Felix scoffed, but it wasn’t genuine. He looked to his left as he said, “I figured he was going to ask you. He mentioned that there were other ways to have you by his side after you got the Sword of the Creator." His tone became mocking as he wrinkled his nose. "What? Did he ask you to court him? Did he propose? That guy will stop at nothing…”

“Stop!” Byleth stepped toward Felix but stumbled and almost fell over before catching herself on the desk. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “I’m drunk, tired, and hungry. I don’t feel like explaining myself to you of all people.” They glared at one another for a few moments before she turned to Sylvain and asked, “Think you can help me to my room, Syl?”

Felix was looking at the floor when Sylvain glanced at him, avoiding his gaze. “Sure, By.” He looped an arm around her waist as she threw one over his shoulder. “You coming, Fe?”

“No. I’ll clean up here.” Felix was still staring at the floor.

“Alright.” Sylvain fumbled with the door a little before letting it swing shut behind them. As he helped Byleth down the stairs he asked, “So… What was that about?”

Byleth sighed and was quiet for a while. Finally, she answered, “I asked Felix what he would have wished for in the Goddess Tower the night of the ball. He told me he would wish to surpass me.” She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “I think the exact phrase was “make me taste defeat.” Sylvain couldn’t help but chuckle. _I tell him to confess and he only talks about his swordsmanship. How very Felix of him._

She scoffed again and grumbled, “He said all he wants is to be stronger. You were wrong, Syl. He doesn’t love me. He just hates Claude, I guess.”

“Are you… sad?” He tried to focus on walking as his heart rate started to speed up. _Why did I ask that? Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_

“I think I might have been three days ago. Now all I can think about is Jeralt and how messed up everything is right now.”

“Right. That makes sense.” He adjusted his hold on Byleth and she leaned into him more.

When they got back to her room, he helped her to the bed and turned to walk to the door. She grabbed his hand and pulled him down to sit on the bed. Both of them scooted back to sit against the wall. She leaned into his side and whispered, “I’m sorry I was cold earlier. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I’ve felt so strange all day. It's all numb with random moments where it's all too much. I don't know how to handle it.” 

He leaned his head on top of hers. “It’s okay. We’ve all been camped out outside here because we were worried. That just wasn’t what we expected, I guess. But it’s just like you told me when you took me up on Emery that first time. You are allowed to feel however you want. We’ll be here no matter what. I’ll be here no matter what.”

She lifted her head from his shoulder and he moved his so she could look at him. She leaned up and kissed him lightly on the cheek. It felt warm where her lips brushed. “I missed you, Syl.” She laid down and put her head in his lap, and tucked her feet under her pillow at the head of the bed.

He stroked her hair as she yawned. His heart was beating way too fast to possibly be healthy. “I missed you, too.”

He averted his eyes from her and glanced around the room. His eyes landed on her desk, where a bright yellow cloth was neatly folded. He blurted out, “Is that Claude’s?”

Her voice was fatigued as she answered, “The cloak? Yeah. Who else wears that color?” She chuckled softly.

“Did Claude really ask to court you? Will you go to Derdriu with him when the year is over?”

She was quiet for a long time, he thought she might have fallen asleep on him. When he carefully leaned over, he saw that she was staring straight ahead. Her voice was cold as she replied, “All I’m thinking about is how to find that bitch, Monica.”

“Monica?” He cocked his head. “The Black Eagles girl who’s always hanging around Edelgard and Hubert?”

She shot up and grabbed his shoulders. “Edelgard! I’ll start with her!” She tried to stand but he caught her arm.

“Wait… explain. Also lay down. You need rest. It can wait until tomorrow.”

She growled, “You don’t get it. Monica is the one who killed him. I had to watch her do it again and again!” She knelt down on the bed in front of him and grabbed his shoulders with a bruising grip. “I’m going to find her Sylvain. I’m going to find her and I’m going to make her pay.”

“Then I’ll help you start tomorrow.” He reached up and grabbed her hands, pulling them to his chest. “I’ll help you find her and I’ll help you avenge him.”

She shook her head and let out a frustrated sigh. “No, Syl. She kill the Captain of the Knights of Seiros. Who knows what she is capable of? And she had a mage that…” Her eyes widened and she looked off to the side. “I’m not going to risk your safety. I’ll do it on my own.”

He squeezed her hands and whispered, “But By…”

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes and it made the words die in his throat. “Will you stay with me? Just for a little while? I’m so tired…” 

He moved her down until she laid her head on the pillow. She reached for his arm and clung to it. “I’m right here, By. It’s okay.” 

She pulled him down and he hesitated before laying down beside her. She leaned into his chest and sighed. “When I was young... I always used to listen to Jeralt’s heartbeat before I fell asleep. Heartbeats are weirdly soothing.”

He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her. “I’ll take your word for it.” Her breathing evened out after a moment and she relaxed beneath his arm. He stared up at the ceiling for a while and thought over everything that had happened the last few days. 

_Jeralt is gone and Byleth wants revenge. What if she gets hurt? What if she fails?_ He shivered slightly at the thought and let out a sigh. _I still can’t believe Jeralt is gone._ He replayed what she had said and furrowed his eyebrows. _What did she mean when she said she had to watch it over and over again?_

After what seemed like forever, his eyes drifted closed. The fatigue of the last few days settled over his body like a shroud and he drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo... Jeralt's diary always kind of makes me mad. He doesn't tell her ANYTHING. Like... at all. I can totally picture Byleth just flying off the handle and being totally pissed about it because anger is more comfortable than sadness sometimes. So here's my take on the whole thing. Hope you all enjoy!


	50. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> Soooo... sorry I haven't posted an chapters in a few days. I ended up going on a little writing retreat. Writing retreat is a strong word. I holed up in a hotel room for the sake of peace and quiet and cranked out a few chapters. Unfortunately the hotel didn't have functioning WIFI and because of all the closures from COVID I couldn't post until I got home.
> 
> Upside... I have the next several chapters written and I'm super excited for you to read them.
> 
> Enjoy Byleth's misery. Wait... that doesn't seem right.

~Byleth~

_The bandits they had been hired to take out were nothing against the deadly dance that she and Jeralt did as they wove through the battle. When it was done, Jeralt pulled his prized lane from the body of his last kill with a sickening squelch._

_“You’re getting better at this, Kid.” He walked over and ruffled her hair as she swatted him away._

_She grumbled, “I’m not a child anymore, Jeralt. You should really stop doing that. Especially in front of our men.”_

_A smirk crossed his face as he strapped his lance to his back and then threw an arm over her shoulders. “Our men, huh? If I recall, I’m the one who started this crew.”_

_She rolled her eyes. “And if I recall, my stupid moniker has pulled in a lot of jobs. You know you couldn’t do this without me, old man.”_

_Jeralt nodded, his face softening as he stared. “Your right, Kid. I couldn’t do this without you.” He pulled her into a side hug and gave a soft chuckle._

_Without warning Jeralt let out a cry of pain and she stepped out of his hold while drawing her sword. Jeralt dropped to his knees and the sunlight flashed across the long blade in Monica’s hand._

_Byleth tried to move, but she couldn’t seem to lift her arms. Her sword dropped to the grass with a soft thud. Monica giggled and something about the sound sent a chill down Byleth’s spine. “Awww… Did I ruin the moment?” Monica shrugged and stepped forward, the dagger raised with the intent to bring it down on her. “I guess I’ll just put you out of your misery, then.”_  


Byleth sat up in her bed, clutching her aching chest with one hand as she frantically glanced around the room. She startled when she realized someone else was in the bed, before finally registering the shock of red hair and letting out a sigh of relief.

Sylvain was facing her on the bed, their pinkies were curled around each other. His hair was a complete mess, and his lips were softly parted as he breathed deeply. He looked so peaceful like this. She wanted to stay there and admire this rare glimpse of vulnerability, but the pain was still there in her chest. Her nightmare played over and over in her head and it was slowly becoming harder to breathe. She rolled away slowly, trying to be as careful as possible to avoid waking Sylvain even as each breath came faster than the one before.

_Jeralt is gone. Your father is dead._ It was like experiencing it all over again. _“You’re right, Kid. I couldn’t do this without you.”_ Jeralt's voice echoed through her mind and pain ripped through her as she silently opened the door and crept out into the early morning light barefoot and unarmed. She walked down the steps and bent in half, hands on her knees as she tried to regulate her breathing. It didn’t seem to work. Tears pricked her eyes as she stood straight. _Goddess… I can’t breathe… I can’t breathe…_

After several minutes of panic, her breathing started to slow. She was exhausted, but she was worried that if she tried to go back to sleep, she would have another nightmare. She walked down the pathway toward the pond, hoping that sitting there would help her calm, when she spotted a head of bright blonde hair slowly walk out of the door that led to the second-floor dormitories.

_Dima? Why is he out at this hour?_ She crouched down slightly and followed as he rounded the pond and came to a stop at the edge of the pier. _Is he having trouble sleeping too?_ The panic she had been feeling earlier was pushed away for concern as she walked closer to him.

“Dima, what are you doing out here at this hour?”

He startled before turning to gape at her. He looked exhausted. Dark bags drooped under his dulled blue eyes. His face was pale and haggard as he stared at her. He looked to the side sheepishly and answered, “I’ve been having trouble sleeping. I often walk around the grounds of the monastery, in an attempt to avoid waking anyone.” He looked more closely at her and asked, “What are you doing out here, Professor?” He took a step closer and examined her face. “I was… We all were…” He blushed slightly and glanced up at the sky. “You’ve been on our minds.” 

She looked down at the planks of the pier beneath her feet. “I guess you could say I was doing the same. I had a nightmare about Jeralt and…” she trailed off and wrapped her arms around her torso.

“Professor…” Dimitri whispered fondly and reached out a hand to rub her arm lightly. 

She leaned her head forward and her forehead landed on his chest. She could feel his rapid heartbeat through his tunic. Her eyes began to burn again, and she couldn’t seem to summon the anger to push away the grief. Dimitri slowly wrapped his arms around her shoulders and rubbed soothing circles into her back. 

Dimitri cleared his throat and said, “Know that your enemies are my enemies. I will do all I can to help you find justice. There is no one else I can…” he sighed heavily and leaned his head into hers. “My strength is yours alone. I will fight as you command… I will kill anyone should you ask it of me.”

She straightened and he dropped his arms, flustering slightly. She cleared her throat and rubbed a hand down her face. “Dima… I won’t ask you to kill anyone for me. Though I think I appreciate the sentiment.” Dimitri flushed bright red and brought a hand up to his face in what was probably a terrible attempt to hide it. “I’m going to look for information on Monica and that mage today. I’ll speak with Edelgard, before going and talking to Shamir…”

“Edelgard?” Dimitri tensed visibly and took a step back. “Why will you be speaking to Edelgard?”

She tilted her head to the side and raised an eyebrow. “Monica hardly left her side after we saved her. Maybe Edelgard knows more about her. Maybe she has an idea of where I can find her.”

Dimitri breathed out slowly and nodded his head. He reached up and massaged his temples as he whispered, “Right. That makes sense.”

“Dima. What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

He smiled softly and replied, “Nothing to worry yourself over. I’ve had headaches ever since Duscur… with all of the stress of everything it seems they are becoming worse.”

She looked him over quietly. He had deep bags under his beautiful blue eyes. He even looked a bit thinner than he normally did. His hair was an absolute mess atop his head. Overall, he looked terrible. She reaching out and grabbed his hand. She began to drag him back toward the dorms as he hesitantly said, “Professor? Where are we going?”

“Your room.”

He made a slightly choked noise and sputtered out a, “W-why?”

She glanced back at him and gave him a soft smile. “I think I can help your headache.” Without any other information she dragged him up the stairs to the second-floor dorms and stopped at his room. He slowly opened the door and she pushed him toward the bed. “Lie down.”

He looked at her questioningly, but did as she commanded. She sat beside him and put her hands on each side of his head while closing her eyes. As she summoned her faith magic, she began to hum Sothis’ song softly. She could feel the tension in Dimitri, and she focused on it as she hummed. After a few seconds, Dimitri sighed softly and she could feel him relaxing beneath her.

“Professor… I…” His voice was so fatigued as he whispered to her before trailing off. She continued to pour her healing magic into him as she cracked open her eyes. Dimitri’s eyes were closed, a faint smile on his lips. He looked so serene. He took a deep breath in and out, before his head lolled to the side. The fatigue, or maybe the lack of pain, had put him to sleep. A small smile pulled at the side of her lips as she looked him over.

She stood as slowly as she could and walked to the door. She opened it silently and crept out into the hallway. She tiptoed down the hall, past the dorms filled with sleeping students, and down to stairs. When she pushed open the door, she took a deep breath of the fresh air before walking back toward her room.

She slowly opened her door and watched as Sylvain began to stir. He glanced around the room until his eyes landed on her. Panic flashed across his features as he quickly sat up and moved to get off of the bed. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to…”

She lifted a hand and whispered, “It’s alright. It’s still early.” He let out a deep exhale and watched her as she walked to the bed and crawled under the covers. 

He stared down at her as he sat there. She whispered, “Would you stay a little longer?” Sylvain watched her carefully for a moment, before finally laying back down.

He whispered, “Are you alright? Where did you go?” He reached out a hand to rub her arm and hissed, “Goddess you’re cold. Were you out there barefoot?” He chuckled softly and pulled her to his chest, still trying to rub some warmth into her icy skin.

She sighed and nuzzled into his warm body. “I had a nightmare, but I didn’t want to wake you, so I went on a walk.”

He put a hand on the back of her neck and hugged her tightly. “I’m sorry. You could have woken me up, By.”

“You looked exhausted yesterday. When was the last time you had a good night’s sleep?”

He scoffed quietly and then chuckled. “I don’t think you have much room to pester me.” He pulled back and his face was full of concern. “Have you even eaten yet?” 

She pursed her lips. “No…”

“You need to eat. Why don’t we go to the dining hall in a bit and get breakfast and then go and visit Emery? She’s been driving the handlers in the aviary crazy because she’s worried about you.”

“Oh Emery…” Byleth sighed and buried her head into the pillow. Sylvain lightly ran a hand through her hair and she sighed again. “I’m just… not sure I’m ready to deal with everyone yet. Every time someone mentions Jeralt…” she furrowed her eyebrows and turned to face Sylvain. “Every time someone mentions him, it’s like there’s someone choking me.” She put a hand lightly on her throat. “And my chest gets tight and my eyes burn. I don’t know if I can handle it.”

Sylvain reached up and moved her hand away from her throat and rubbed a calloused thumb over her palm. He whispered, “It’s grief, By. Everyone means well… they are just worried about you.”

“I can’t deal with all of them watching me, like at the funeral. I can’t do it.”

He reached forward and pulled her head into his chest. “I’ll stay with you. If it’s too much, you can grab my arm and I’ll get you out of there.” She nodded slightly into his chest, but clung to the front of his shirt. Her eyes started to burn again, and that tightness in her chest was becoming too much to bear.

_“I just want to stay here…”_

**“If you must weep, then weep. I shall be here for you.”**

_“But… Sylvain…”_

**“He is here for you as well.”**

“Sylvain…” It came out choked as the tightness squeezed at her throat. “You should go… I…” 

As if he knew what she was doing, he pulled her closer and whispered, “It’s okay, By. It’s okay to cry. I’m not leaving you to deal with this alone again. I won’t.”

She shook her head as the tears began to stream down her face. She whimpered, “I couldn’t save him, Syl… he died… and it’s all my fault.”

“No it’s not, By. It’s not your fault.”

She cried until dehydration and exhaustion made it so she couldn’t cry any more. Sylvain held her close and whispered comforting words as she clung to him. When her sobs finally stopped, he pulled back and wiped her tears away and whispered, “Do you feel a little better?”

She nodded slowly and stood, going over to the washbasin to rinse her face. Sylvain stood up and walked to place his hands on her shoulders. “It might be early enough to beat the rush if we go to the dining hall now. But only if you’re up for it. If you want, I can bring something back for you?”

She shook her head. “No. I need to leave my room eventually. I have to find Edelgard and Shamir today.”

Something in his gaze shifted before he grinned tightly and nodded. “Okay, let’s go.” He froze at the door and turned his body back to face her, but wouldn’t look her in the eye. He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. “Actually… you should probably check to make sure the coast is clear. This looks pretty bad… and you wouldn’t want people thinking you are sleeping with me or anything.”

“Sylvain… I asked you to stay. All we did was sleep. It will be fine.” She reached out to grab the handle to swing the door open, but Sylvain caught her wrist.

“That’s not what other people will think. It’s me we are talking about. They’ll probably think I took advantage of you while you were grieving and…” His jaw tightened. “You know what… Maybe I should go and get His Highness or Felix to take you to breakfast.”

“Dima is sleeping right now. I ran into him on my walk this morning and when I helped his headache, he finally fell asleep.”

“Felix, then? Felix will keep people away from you. That scowl could actually be good for something!” He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck again.

She furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to figure out why he was acting this way. “Syl… if you don’t want to stay with me… it’s fine. I understand if you have other things to do. You’ve done enough for me.”

He raised his head and something in her heart twisted at the pain there. “I’ve worked so hard to build this reputation of being some piece of shit philanderer…” he ran his hand through his hair and chuckled darkly. “But now, I don’t want people to say anything bad about you. And they will if you are hanging around me. I don’t want people to think those things about you. You’re too special for that, By.”

“I don’t care about any of that, Syl. I know that’s not really you.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him tight. “You’ve been here for me this whole time. Let them say what they will.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment, just rested his arms around her waist and leaned into the hug. When he did break the silence he whispered, “Claude won’t like it if they are saying those things.”

“Claude will be just fine. Don’t worry over him.” She pulled back and looped an arm through his before opening the door. “Now. I’m hungry. Let’s go eat.”

When they walked into the dining hall, Byleth immediately heard whispers. One group at the table closest to the door held a girl who whispered, “They are sending all the knights away. What happens if someone attacks the monastery? Do you think we’re in danger?”

Sylvain tensed beside her and tried to drag her away, but she stood firm. A boy sitting next to the girl whispered, “Can you blame them? Someone killed the Blade Breaker! If they can kill him, they can kill any of us. Of course, we’re in danger.”

Another boy across the table whispered, “Do you think we’ll still be able to graduate? If dangerous things keep happening around here, who even knows… I’m worried.” He glanced up and paled slightly when he realized she was watching them. He squeaked, “Professor!”

All three of them stood quickly and turned to her. The girl whispered, “We’re sorry, Professor. We didn’t know you were there and…”

She raised a hand to cut them off. “You have valid concerns. I can hardly blame you for being concerned for your safety. But, I want you to know I will do everything in my power to keep the monastery safe. I promise.” The boy who had mentioned graduation let out a relieved sigh and slumped slightly, but the other two remained unconvinced. “May I ask if you have heard anything about the knight’s search?”

The girl looked at the other two boys, who both shook their heads. The girl bowed slightly to her and said, “No, Professor. Though I did see Sir Shamir at the stables on the way here. If she’s still there, she might know something? If anyone does, it would be her.” 

She glanced and Sylvain, who shook his head quickly. “You need to eat, By…” he looked at the students nearby and cleared his throat. “You need to eat, Professor.” 

“I’ll come back. I have to see if I can catch her before she leaves.” Sylvain began to shake his head again but she was already walking in the direction of the stables. She called over her shoulder,

“Grab me a tray and save me a seat! I’ll come right back!” 

She walked through the doors to the Entrance hall, out the massive double doors, and around the corner to the stables. She rounded the corner and immediately spotted Shamir with some of the knights, saddling up their horses. She walked up and Shamir turned at her approach. Shamir looked her over and raised an eyebrow. “You look awful.”

She skipped the pleasantries. She knew it wouldn’t be appreciated by either of them. “What do you know? What have the knights found?” 

Shamir shook her head lightly and grabbed Byleth by the elbow. She dragged her away from the group of knights until the stood near a stack of barrels at the corner. She looped an arm lightly around Byleth’s shoulder, and Byleth felt her push something into the strap of her breast band before squeezing her shoulder slightly and saying in a slightly louder than her normal volume, “I’m sorry for your loss. The Knights of Seiros will do everything in their power to bring justice to the Captain. Don’t worry, Byleth.” 

The knights didn’t pay them any mind, though a few bowed to her when they looked over. Byleth’s hand twitched with the desire to know what Shamir had placed in her breast band, but she knew that if Shamir went to the trouble, she shouldn’t do anything out in the open. “Thanks Shamir. Be safe out there.” Shamir nodded curtly and walked away.

Byleth ran back to the dining hall and immediately spotted Sylvain’s red shock of hair in the crowd. Some of the Blue Lions had gathered at the table and a shot of anxiety ripped through her. She steeled herself and walked over.

Mercedes and Annette were the first to spot her, and they immediately jumped out of their seats and enveloped her in a hug. When they pulled away, Mercedes said in her sweet voice, “I’m so glad you’re OK, Professor. I was so worried!”

Annette pulled her hand and walked them back to the table. “Oh Professor! You must be starving. Sylvain got you a tray of food and Mercie and I made some sweets for you. We were thinking that if you were to eat something sweet, it might make you feel better.”

“Thank you for the thought, girls. I appreciate it.” She tried her best to smile as she sat down. Sylvain gave her a sympathetic look and pushed her tray over to her as Mercedes and Annette took a seat at each side of her.

Mercedes giggled and pushed a plate of cookies in front of her. Byleth’s mouth began to water at the sight. “Baking sweets is my specialty. I’m sure they’ll do the trick.”

Ingrid sat at Sylvain’s side, and with a slight bow of her head said, “I’m so sorry… I never quite know what to say at times like these… Just… don’t push yourself too hard too soon. It’s OK to allow yourself to be sad right now. Losing someone dear to you… Well, each loss is unique, but it’s a feeling I know very well.” Sylvain looped an arm over Ingrid shoulder and pulled her into a side hug.

“Thanks, Ingrid. But I can’t allow myself to be sad right now. I have to find Monica and the mage who saved her and make sure they don’t harm anyone else.”

Ashe shook his head and the action made his silver hair tousle slightly. “Not just Tomas and Jeritza, but Monica too. We can’t be sure who to trust anymore, can we? Who are these people, really? What do you think they want?”

Byleth furrowed her brows and took a bite of her food. After she swallowed, she said, “Monica said something about how we had ruined her plan. I can only assume that’s why she killed Jeralt. Maybe she was the one who turned those students into demonic beasts. Maybe it’s connected to Solon and the chaos we saw in Remire? My father mentioned that he thought it was all connected.”

Sylvain’s jaw tightened and his eyebrows furrowed. “If that’s true, then all of Fodlan could be at risk.”

Ingrid shook off Sylvian’s arm and straightened. “We’ll help you stop them, Professor. It’s our duty, after all.”

Byleth shook her head. “No. I can’t allow that.”

Ashe shook his head and furrowed his brows. “Why not, Professor? If what you are saying is true, all of us are at risk anyway.”

“Monica and that mage took out my father, one of the greatest fighters I know. Who knows what she is capable of? I won’t put you all in harm’s way. My mercenaries and I will take care of this.” She finished her food as her students each went on a rant about how they wanted to help and she shouldn’t leave them out of this. She cut them off with a raised hand and said, “I appreciate all of your concern. For now, I need to go.”

Sylvain began to stand and said, “I’ll go with you, Professor.”

She stood with her tray, right as someone screamed, “YOU!” The entire dining hall went silent as everyone turned to see what was going on. Byleth saw Ashe’s eyes widen and turned to see what he was looking at. Leonie was stomping toward her, as a nervous looking Lorenz trailed after her hissing her name while nervously glancing around at all of the people watching the commotion Leonie was causing.

Leonie got in her face and screamed, “Who do you think you are showing up to Jeralt’s funeral like that? Do you even care that he died?! Did you even appreciate him at all?!”

Lorenz grabbed her elbow and tried to pull her back, but she turned and spat, “Back up, Lorenz. Unless you want to see just how far I can stick my foot up your noble ass!” Lorenz’s cheeks turned red as he spluttered and backed away. Everyone was staring as Leonie turned back to Byleth and poked a finger into her chest.

Tears streamed down Leonie’s face as she screamed, “There were so many times in my life when I wanted to ask his advice, but I couldn’t. I just had to make do. You got to have him your whole life, you got to be his kid, and you can’t even act like you are sad he’s dead. He’s gone!”

Sylvain practically growled from behind her. “That’s about enough, Leonie. Leave her be.”

Leonie scoffed and shoved Byleth, but she stood firm. “You may be his kid, but I’m still his best apprentice. Got it?!”

Byleth clenched her fists and scoffed. “Yeah right. You honestly think you could hold your own against me? At all? Whatsoever?”

Leonie’s nostrils flared as her face turned red with rage. “I know I could! You’re just some bitch riding on Jeralt’s coattails. You’re nothing but a stone-faced, heartless—”

“Leonie. That’s enough!” Claude’s voice was full of authority as he strode up and pushed between them to stand in front of Byleth. “I’m disappointed in you. Just because she grieves differently from you, doesn’t mean she isn’t grieving. Now go and cool off before Teach kicks your ass into next week.”

Leonie glared at Claude. “You’re going to defend her?!” He didn’t move as they continued to stare at each other. Eventually, she scoffed and stepped away. “She’s got all of you wrapped around her damn finger.” She narrowed her eyes as she made eye contact with Byleth. “This isn’t over. I’ll prove that I am Jeralt’s best apprentice.”

Claude stiffened at the threat. His voice was more serious than she had ever heard as he growled, “Leonie, get the hell out of here!” while he pointed to the door. Leonie scoffed once more before stomping out of the dining hall. The whispers immediately started around her and Byleth tensed as she glanced around. 

“By…” Sylvain spoke her name softly and put a hand on her arm right as Claude turned back to her. 

Claude winked at Sylvain and said, “Well, how’s that for adding to the rumor mill? Don’t worry, Sylvain. I’ve got her from here.” Sylvain opened his mouth, looking like he might protest, but Claude had already grabbed her hand and started pulling her toward the door. She turned her head and nodded to Sylvain, who sighed heavily and turned back to sit with the Blue Lions.

Once they were outside the door, Claude whispered, “You okay, Teach?” She glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. He nodded down to her hand that he was still holding and continued. “You’re shaking.” She looked down and noticed that her hands were, indeed, shaking. There was an uneasy feeling in her chest that she wasn’t used to. 

Claude looked her over before dragging her in the direction of her room. “I’m sorry about her. She’s always had a temper, but she’s been a mess since Jeralt… well… you know.” Without wasting a second, he pushed open her door and walked them inside. As soon as the door closed, he whispered, “Can I give you a hug, Teach?”

She nodded and Claude wrapped his arms around her. He was so warm against her. She nuzzled into his shoulder and sighed. “I don’t know why I’m shaking… I’m not scared of Leonie or anything.”

Claude chuckled and rubbed circles into her lower back. “Grief is a funny thing, Teach. Maybe it was just her talking about Jeralt.” He let her go and sighed as he ran a hand through his tousled hair. “I haven’t lost a parent yet, so I can’t even begin to understand how you must be feeling… But even while you’re standing still, the world keeps on moving. I always find that oddly comforting.” He took her hand and whispered, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

With all of the drama of dealing with the Lions and Leonie’s outburst, she had forgotten about Shamir’s note. She moved away and Claude let her go, before raising an eyebrow as she reached into her breast band to get the slip of paper that Shamir had placed there. “Ahhh… Teach…?”

She shook her head and unfolded it. “It’s from Shamir. I asked her what she knew and she slipped this to me. I haven’t been able to look at it yet.”

Claude walked around to look over her shoulder as she silently read:

_**Byleth,** _

_**I figured you would come and find me. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you anything in person. Rhea has ordered that no one is to share information of the search with you. She says it is for your own safety. She seems to think that these people may be after you as well.** _

_**I think that’s all bullshit. You shouldn’t be kept out of this.** _

_**I’ll try to slip you any information I find. If you do your own search, which if I know you at all you will. Be discreet. If Rhea gets word, she’ll try to stop you.** _

_**-Shamir** _

“Rhea is trying to keep you out of the loop? Gods, Teach.” Claude put a hand on her shoulder and she reached her free hand up to place it on top of his. “I know she’s always been weirdly fond of you… but this?”

The words from her father’s diary entered her mind and a chill went down her spine. “You have no idea, Claude. No idea.”

He turned to her and raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong, Teach? You look scared.”

“Because I am.” She walked over to her trashcan and lit a basic fire spell in her hand to burn the note. When the job was done, she nodded solemnly and took Claude’s hand. “There’s something I should show you.” 

Claude interlaced their fingers and nodded. “Lead the way, Teach.”

Byleth pulled him past the Training Grounds and up the stairs to the second floor. She opened the door to her father’s office and grimaced. Felix had cleaned everything up, but the memories of last night were still fresh. Claude stroked her hand with his thumb and softly asked, “Are you going to be okay, Teach?”

She nodded once and let go of his hand before she went to the desk. She had to look in several places before she finally found the journal with the leather pouch resting on top of it in the back of one of the drawers. She pulled them both out and placed the ring in the pouch that held the bracelet the Lions had gotten for her.

Claude’s eyes widened with interest as he saw the journal. “Wait… is that a journal? Jeralt’s journal?”

She nodded and opened it to the page that she had showed Felix last night. He raised his eyebrows as she handed it to him, before they furrowed and his eyes narrowed as he read. When he was done, his mouth was set in a thin line. “Is it true?” She raised an eyebrow in question and he whispered, “Do you really not have a heartbeat?” 

She nodded slowly and took his hand to place it over her chest. His eyes widened as he stared at his hand. She fought to keep the shake out of her voice as she asked, “Does it… scare you?”

Claude chuckled and shook his head. “Scare me? You become even more interesting with every fact I learn about you, Teach.” He took his hand away and slowly flipped through the journal. “Teach…” He looked back up at her and sternly said, “Will you let me take this? It could have valuable information about Rhea and the Church. This information is vital to everything I’ve been searching for.”

She bit her lip, suddenly nervous, and glanced at the journal. “I haven’t even read it yet, Claude. I don’t even know what’s in there. I didn’t know anything about what you just read until last night. Who knows what other answers that holds!”

Claude dropped the journal on the desk and grabbed her upper arms, staring intently into her eyes. “I know this is important to you. I wouldn’t ask under any other circumstances… but I need to know what is in that journal. I can help you learn more about yourself if I read through it. I’ll help you any way I can.”

He reached one hand up to cup her cheek and whispered, “Please? I promise I’ll give it back as soon as I’m done with it.”

She leaned into his touch slightly and let out a heavy sigh. “Fine… but you have to keep it safe. If Rhea or anyone else finds out about it… I’m willing to bet Rhea will stop at nothing to destroy it.”

“I know, Teach. Thank you for trusting me with this.” He stroked a thumb across her cheek and glanced at her lips. “Can I kiss you again, Teach?”

A tingle formed under her skin as she stared into his piercing green eyes. The thought of forgetting about everything and just letting him kiss her senseless sounded appealing. She could almost imagine the feel of his skin and… _No. Student. Teacher. No._ She took a deep breath and shook her head. “I shouldn’t, Claude. I’m still a professor, and you are still a student.”

He pushed his lip out in an exaggerated pout before he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He chuckled when she hit him with an unimpressed glare and said, “Fine. Come here, you.” He circled her waist and pulled her in for a hug. She leaned her face into his neck and sank into his warmth for a while.

She whispered, “Claude… I can’t promise you anything after the year is through.” He pulled back slightly to make eye contact with her. “I have to find the people who did this, and I don’t know how long that will take. Everything is so messed up right now, and I don’t want to keep you waiting for an answer.”

He cupped her cheek and whispered back, “Don’t worry about that while you are grieving, Teach. I’m with you… I want to help.”

She shook her head. “No students. I won’t put any of you in danger.”

He furrowed his eyebrows slightly and stroked her cheek with his thumb. “Teach, if they find them before all of the knights can get here…” He stroked across her bottom lip as he stared at it. “You’ll need all the help you can get.”

She nipped his thumb as she narrowed her eyes at him. He groaned as he shifted forward to put his face in the crook of her neck. She pushed his head away and raised an eyebrow at him. “I lead one of the best mercenary crews in Fodlan. They’ll await my orders. I just have to find Monica and that mage who helped her get away.” 

Claude wrapped his arms more firmly around her waist. “And what if that’s not enough? They know you’re coming, Teach. They must know about the power of the Sword of the Creator. If they are trying to cause problems in Fodlan, they will want you out of the way. Who’s to say you weren’t the real target the other day?” 

At those words, fear and anger started churning in her chest. _What if I was the target? What if it wasn’t Jeralt? What was Monica’s plan? Is this all my fault? Is it my fault he’s dead?_ She clenched her fists and stepped back. She pulled her arm away as he tried to reach for her. Tears pricked at her eyes as she growled, “I don’t care. They killed my father!” She turned away and walked toward the door. She called over her shoulder, “Enjoy the fucking journal.” before slamming the door behind her. 

Sothis whispered, **“You can’t keep pushing everyone away, Byleth…”**

_“I have to find Edelgard. I’ve wasted too much time. Monica could be anywhere. That mage is still an unknown. We don’t know what they want.”_

**“We won’t let them get away with it, but it wouldn’t do any harm to rely on your friends.”**

_“It wouldn’t do any harm until one of them gets hurt or killed while I’m trying to take out Monica. I can’t guarantee that I can keep them safe. You remember Conand Tower. I almost lost Dima and Sylvain because I was too angry to focus. If I was angry then…”_ Her fists clenched as her teeth grinded together.

**“You must keep your head, Byleth. You will only put yourself and those around you in danger if you give yourself away to hatred and anger.”**

She reached the bottom of the stairs and walked out into the courtyard next to the classrooms. _That’s right… it’s Saturday. No classes today._ She spotted Dorothea near one of the pillars and approached her. Dorothea immediately pulled her into a hug and sniffled softly. The anger drained out of Byleth as Dorothea whispered, “Oh Professor… I’ve sung lyrics lamenting death many times on stage… But when something like this happens in real life… I’m lost. I don’t know what to say. But I do know this much… Sir Jeralt must have been very proud to have you as his child.” 

The tightness in her throat was back as tears pricked her eye. _Damn it, Dorothea_. She gripped her waist a little tighter and buried her head in Dorothea’s shoulder. She murmured, “Thank you.”  
Dorothea rubbed her back and giggled softly, “Of course, Professor.” 

Byleth took a deep breath and recomposed herself. “Have you seen Edelgard?”

Dorothea tilted her head to the side and clasped her hands in front of her chest. “Edie? No, I haven’t seen her today. She and Hubie have been leaving the monastery a lot lately. I think they go into town, but I can’t be certain. You know how closed off those two can be.” She waved a hand in the air with a roll of her eyes.

“Well, maybe you can help me. I was going to ask if Edelgard knew anything more about Monica.”

Dorothea’s eyes narrowed as anger flashed across her beautiful face. “Are those rumors true, then? Was Monica really the one who killed Sir Jeralt?” Byleth nodded and Dorothea threw her head back with a scoff. “I knew that bitch was sketchy, but murdering the Captain of the Knights of Seiros?!”

“Wait… you thought she was sketchy?”

Dorothea nodded earnestly and, after glancing around, pulled her into the empty Black Eagles classroom. “She was always trying to keep Edie to herself. Hubie was absolutely hating it. It would have almost been funny, if she wasn’t so… odd. She seemed completely fine, even right after you guys found her. You would think after being in captivity for a year you would visit home or something… but no. She latched onto Edie, claiming that it was so she could help her get on track for graduation.” Dorothea scoffed again and tossed back her hair. “She was always so phony. I can sniff out people like that from a mile away after my time with the opera. I knew she was bad news… but I never could’ve imagined it was this bad.”

Byleth narrowed her eyes and whispered, “Do you think Edelgard could have been in on it? Do you think she knew what Monica was going to do?”

Dorothea shook her head frantically and held up her heads. “Oh no, Professor. Edie was heartbroken when Manuela announced what had happened. I’ve never seen her so torn up. She tried to come and visit you, and was even more sad when you weren’t responding to anyone. If she knew Monica was going to… ya know… she would be the best actress I have ever seen. And I’ve seen a lot of them.”

Byleth lifted a hand to her chin and stared at the ground. _Edelgard may not have known, but she sounds like she was the only one who was close to Monica. Maybe she still has an idea of where I can find her._ When she raised her head, Dorothea was looking at her sympathetically. “You said you think they may be in town?”

Dorothea nodded, “I think so. But again, I can’t be sure.”

Byleth nodded. “Alright. I’ll go to town in a bit and see if I can find her.” She turned toward the door before stopping and turning back to Dorothea. “Hey Dorothea? This conversation stays between us, okay?”

Dorothea nodded. “Of course, Professor. I hope you find the bitch and make her pay. She deserves everything that’s coming to her.” The fury in Dorothea’s eyes was authentic. 

“Remind me to keep you on my good side.” Byleth felt her lips twitch upward slightly as Dorothea giggled. “Would you like to join my class? I’ve got some great mages. I could help you with your reason skills? Maybe teach you how to handle a sword?”

Dorothea swatted playfully at her arm. “Oh, you sweet talker, you.” She sighed and threw her hair over her shoulder. “I’ll consider your offer. We’re so close to graduation it might not mean much.”

Byleth shrugged. “I guess you’re right, but the offer stands. I appreciate badass women when I see them. You are more than just what you portray to everyone else.” 

A coy smile spread on Dorothea’s face as she looked off to the left. “Oh, you!” Byleth smirked as she walked out of the classroom.

She walked in the direction of her room, pondering if she should take anything with her to town, when she ran into Raphael and Caspar walking in the direction of the training grounds. Raphael’s booming voice called, “Professor! You’re out and about! That’s so great!” He picked her up, twirled her around, and squeezed her into a tight hug as she chuckled softly. He put her down and looked her over. “You’re looking too thin, Professor. You gotta stay active during tough times, even if it seems impossible. That’s how I got through when I lost my parents.” He patted her shoulder and gave her the biggest grin. “We’ll get you back in fighting shape in no time. Eating and training are my specialties! Why don’t you come with us right now?”

She glanced up at the sky and considered it. _It is only early afternoon… and I haven’t trained in almost four days. I’ll need my strength to face off against Monica. She might even have more of those Demonic Beasts…_ She looked up at Raphael and nodded. “Deal. Let me go get changed.” She glanced over at Caspar and noticed that the normally cheery and outgoing blue-haired boy was quietly staring at the ground.

She walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Caspar… what is it?”

He raised his head to meet her gaze and she noticed his eyes were red. His shoulders tensed underneath her as he whispered, “I’m not even close to being strong enough. I mean, Jeralt was so much stronger than me, but even he…” Caspar hung his head and shook it softly. She shook her head and rubbed his shoulder. She opened her mouth to reply, but he quickly raised his head and she stopped herself.

He grinned and raised his fist. “That’s enough. I can’t dwell on the past. There’s no way to know what my future holds, but I know one thing. Whatever happens, I have to make my own way in this world. I have to keep pushing so I can grow even stronger!”

Raphael shouted from behind her, “That’s the spirit, buddy! Professor, you go get changed and we’ll have an awesome workout. We’ve gotta get our muscles ready for anything!”

She smiled softly at a now pumped up Caspar and ruffled his hair as Jeralt always did to her. “I’ll see you guys in there.” 

~Felix~

He had barely slept last night, after everything that happened with Byleth in Jeralt’s office. All he could think about was all the potential dangers that the archbishop now posed for Byleth. What could she have possibly done to make it so Byleth didn’t have a heartbeat? Would it affect her health? She seemed perfectly healthy and strong, and goddess knows she has the stamina to outlast some of the best warriors he knew, but what would it mean for her future? And how could Jeralt not tell her anything?

He still remembered what Jeralt said to him in the infirmary while Byleth was still knocked out with her broken ribs. He had said, _“I have things I need to tell her, too. We all have reasons we keep things to ourselves.”_ Jeralt had been so understanding about the fact that he hadn’t told Byleth about Glenn… but that made sense if he was hiding the fact that the archbishop did something to his newborn daughter. 

Jeralt was scared of the archbishop. Him leaving the Knights of Seiros made so much more sense now. Felix remembered his old man talking about it after they met Jeralt. He remembered staring up at his father in wonder as he whispered to himself, _“Why would you leave the Knights of Seiros to become a wandering mercenary? Especially if you have a child?”_

Felix couldn’t help but chuckle darkly at the thought of telling his ridiculously pious father that the archbishop of the church did something to Byleth when she was a child. He probably wouldn’t even believe him, or he’d make excuses. He held a weird amount of concern for Byleth though, so who knows? Not that he would ever tell the old man, the less people who knew the better.

He had been in the training grounds for most of the morning, trying to work out his frustrations, when Caspar and Raphael walked in. He overheard Raphael’s voice (Because who couldn’t overhear Raphael? They could probably hear that oaf all the way in the cathedral.) as he said, “Man. I’m just glad the Professor is out and about again. Let’s hope we can cheer her up, yeah?”

Caspar gave an excited whoop and ran up to Felix. “Did ya hear? The Professor is out of her room. We just saw her! Isn’t that great?”

“Whatever.” Felix tried to sound uninterested, but he was relieved that Byleth hadn’t gone back into hiding after everything that happened last night.

Caspar furrowed his eyebrows and put a hand to his chin. “It was pretty messed up what Leonie did, though.”

Felix turned sharply and Caspar stepped back slightly, “What are you talking about? What did Leonie do?”

Raphael sighed as he walked over with a training axe. “Leonie has been really upset ever since the Captain died. Ya know, because he was like her mentor and stuff. She kinda got in the Professor’s face in the dining hall and said some stuff.”

Caspar laughed and pumped his fist. “Yeah! But the Professor handled it like a champ! She was all “you think you can take me?” and didn’t even flinch! You shoulda been there!”

As if the chatter about her could summon her, Leonie walked into the training hall. All three of them turned and the conversation immediately halted. She glanced over at them and shrugged before going over to the rack that held the practice lances and taking her place in front of one of the dummies.

Caspar whispered, “Ummmm… guys… what do we do? The Professor is gonna be here any minute.”

Raphael shrugged and glanced at Leonie. “Maybe it’s all blown over now?”

The door opened again and in walked Byleth. All three of them stared as she walked up to them, but Leonie was quick to intrude. She leveled her lance at Byleth and grinned. “This is it. This is the chance for me to prove that I am Jeralt’s greatest apprentice! Fight me!”

Byleth had her neutral look as she glanced from Leonie, over to their little group. Caspar chuckled nervously as Raphael walked over. “Hey Leonie, why don’t we give the Professor a break. She’s had a long couple days and—”

Leonie scoffed and crossed her arms. “You don’t speak for her.” She turned back to Byleth and asked, “Are you going to fight me or not? Are you scared I’m going to beat you? Are you scared to let Jeralt down?”

Felix had had enough. He growled, “That’s enough, Leonie! Fuck off!”

Leonie glanced over and rolled her eyes. “Really, Fraldarius? She even has you wrapped around her finger? I thought you were better than that.”

He clenched his fists and glared her down. “If you don’t shut your mouth, I’ll shut it for you.”

Byleth sighed heavily and walked over toward the weapon’s racks. “Would you like me to fight you with a lance or a sword?”

Leonie had a smug grin and said, “Whatever you think you can beat me with.” She twirled her lance over her head and jammed the butt of it into the ground.

Byleth rolled her eyes and pulled out a lance. Felix scoffed and Raphael and Caspar both looked over at him. He loudly said, “She’s not even taking this seriously enough to use her preferred weapon, Leonie. You don’t stand a chance.”

Caspar chuckled nervously and leaned over to whisper (well at least Caspar version of whisper) “Ummm… the Professor isn’t exactly in top shape right now. She looks like she hasn’t eaten or slept in days…”

Byleth heard him and called back, “I wouldn’t worry about me too much.” 

They circled each other for a few breaths before Leonie let out a battle cry and charged. Byleth batted away the swing easily while jumping to the side. Leonie brought the lance down in a powerful swing from overhead and Byleth brought her lance up to block it while kicking Leonie in the stomach with a powerful front kick. Leonie dropped like a rock, clutching her stomach as she tried to fill her lungs with air.

Byleth twirled her lance overhead before dropping into a defensive stance. “Again.”

Leonie stood, still hunched over a little, and faced Byleth. They sparred five more times. Each time Leonie lasted a little longer than the time before. On the sixth round, Leonie gritted her teeth in frustration before charging again. She was smarter this time, using more defensive tactics as they each tried to gain the upper hand. Leonie’s face was determined as she stepped one foot forward to jab at Byleth’s torso, but Byleth was too fast. She spun to the left while sticking the butt of her lance in between Leonie’s legs and sweeping her front foot out. She fell back with an undignified yelp and punched the ground as she cursed. “I almost had you that time!” 

Byleth shook her head and pursed her lips as she leaned casually on her lance. “You are a determined fighter, Leonie. You show promise, but I have more training and experience.”

“Because Jeralt was your dad! You got to train with him all the time!”

“You’re right. But I’m also older, and I’ve been training to be able to defend myself since I could walk. I’ve put in the time and effort to have the skills I have. Life wasn’t all training while I was growing up as Jeralt’s daughter. I had to learn to kill before you could hold a quill. There’s a lot I went through that you’ll never have to experience.”

Leonie stood and got in Byleth’s face. “I know you were some famous mercenary before you came here, but let me tell you something… I’m going to be better than you ever were. In fact, I’ll surpass you in no time. So, don’t blink. You might miss it.”

Byleth looked Leonie over and narrowed her eyes. “You’re angry. You lost the man you feel was your mentor and hero. I get it. But you are forgetting who the real enemy is. Monica is the one who killed Jeralt. Not me.” Leonie’s lip quivered even as her fists clenched tighter. Byleth continued, “I’m going to find her, and I’m going to make her pay. If you would let me train and stop harassing me, it would be appreciated.”

No one said a word, everyone stayed where they were as they watched Byleth walked over and put the training lance back before taking out a training sword. Raphael started shuffling nervously as she swung the sword at a training dummy. Byleth called over her shoulder, “And if you would like to earn a spot in my company when this year is over, you should really consider how you treat me.”

Leonie’s eyes widened in surprise before she whirled around to stare at Byleth’s back. “You mean… you’d let me join Jeralt’s old crew?”

Byleth didn’t even glance back. “If you agree to respect me as your leader? Sure. But you’ve got some growing up to do. And you should probably stop accusing me of not appreciating my father.”

Byleth finally turned around and her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she said, “My father was all I had. I had to watch him die, right in front of me. He’s gone now, and I’d appreciate it if you stopped throwing it in my face.”

They stared at each other for a long time before Leonie dropped her lance and lowered her head. “Look. I’m sorry I snapped at you. I didn’t mean to lose my temper.” She continued to stare at the floor as she asked, “Could I… join your class? I know now that I have a lot to learn. I think you could help me reach my potential… if you’ll have me.” 

Byleth tilted her head and stared at her for a long time before she nodded and turned back to her training dummy. “Speak with Hanneman and have the form on my desk on Monday morning.”  
Caspar whooped as Raphael walked up and threw a huge arm over Leonie’s shoulders. “You’re going to be in the Professor’s class! Congrats! Claude’s gonna be pissed you’re leaving the Deer, though.”

Leonie smirked and rolled her eyes. “More like he’s going to be jealous I get to learn from his precious Teach.” She punched Raphael’s arm and shouted, “Now let’s get training! I have to prove I’m worthy of my spot!”

Felix walked over to stand near Byleth’s training dummy, watching her as she effortlessly went through the motions of her warm ups. He chuckled and asked, “Really? She chews you out in front of everyone and you’re going to let her into your class?”

She stopped her swings to look at him. Her face was completely neutral as she asked, “Does that amuse you?”

He shrugged his shoulder and leaned back against the wall. “It just seems like an interesting choice.”

She looked over her shoulder and watched as Leonie sparred with Caspar. When she turned back to him, she shrugged. “She works hard, and she respected Jeralt. She’s got fire. I like it.” She resumed her exercises and added, “And if she gives me half the shit you do, I’ll send her right back.”

Felix watched her for a while before kicking off of the wall and walking closer. “You said you are going to go after Monica.” She didn’t even glance at him as she nodded. “I’m coming with you.”

She rolled her eyes and said, “You aren’t coming with me. I’m not taking any students. It’ll be me and my crew. That’s it.”

He growled, “Byleth…”

She narrowed her eyes and pointed her training sword at him. Her face was determined and her voice lethal as she said, “How many times do I have to tell you this? You aren’t my fucking keeper!”

He groaned and threw his hands up. He narrowed his eyes right back at her. “Are you going to make me say it?!”

Her tone was mocking as she tilted her head. “Say what, Fraldarius?”

“I fucking care about you, okay?! Are you happy now?!” Her face softened, only slightly, as she stared at him. When she didn’t say anything, he let out another groan. “I get that I’m not your keeper. I’m not trying to be! I just want to keep you safe! Especially if you are going on some idiotic revenge mission where you’re going to throw yourself into danger without even thinking like you always do!” 

Her face hardened again as she dropped her sword arm back to her side. She turned away and walked over to place her training sword in it’s correct spot. She didn’t look at him as she said, “I’ve wasted enough time. I’m leaving.”

“Wait! Where are you going? I thought you were training?!” She didn’t even bother to reply before walking out the doors. 

Felix heard a chuckle and he turned to see that the others were watching him. Leonie was laughing into her fist, Raphael looked like he felt very awkward with the whole thing, and Caspar’s face was full of pity. Casper cringed and whispered, “Dude… really?”

Felix felt his cheeks burn as he stomped over to throw his sword on the rack before storming out of the training hall. Leonie was still laughing as the door shut behind him. 

_Damn it, Fraldarius._


	51. Chapter 51

~Byleth~

It was an annoyingly short training session, but she still went straight to the bath house afterward. When she was finished, she put on casual clothes and a steel sword before heading out the door. _Maybe I can try to ask around town if people have seen any suspicious individuals. No need to draw attention with the Sword of the Creator._

As she was walking toward the entrance of the monastery to head into town, she ran into Dimitri and Dedue. “Dima! How do you feel?” He certainly looked better. The bags under his eyes weren’t quite as dark and he looked less disheveled than he had that morning.

He bowed deeply in that overly formal way he sometimes does when he’s nervous and when he straightened, she noticed he was blushing. “My sincerest apologizes for this morning, Professor. I’m terribly embarrassed that I fell asleep. Please forgive me.”

She shook her head briskly and put a hand on his arm. “No, Dima. Don’t apologize. I was happy to see you getting some rest. If you need help sleeping, I hope you will seek me out from now on. I’m always happy to help.”

He nodded with a bright smile and it made her feel better. _Maybe some chamomile tea and a quick faith magic session a few nights a week would help him…_ Dimitri looked her over and cocked an eyebrow. “Are you going somewhere, Professor?”

She nodded and put a hand on the hilt of her sword. “I’m heading into town for a while.”

Dimitri’s eyebrows furrowed and he put a fist to his chin. “Is that safe, Professor? Monica and whomever she’s working with could be out there.” Dedue nodded in agreement, concern etched across his normally stoic features.

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “Honestly, you’d think you guys thought I couldn’t handle myself. I’m bringing my weapon along. I should be fine.” Dimitri still looked unconvinced and she rolled her eyes. “Would it make you feel better if you guys came with me? I’m only looking for Edelgard, and possibly asking around for information from the people in town.”

Dimitri and Dedue looked at each other for a moment before Dedue shook his head. “I promised Flayn that I would help her with her cooking this afternoon, Professor.”

Dimitri nodded and stepped to her side, holding out his arm for her to loop hers through. His voice was bright and cheerful as he said, “But I would be more than happy to accompany you!”

She nodded and looped her arm with Dimitri’s. With a glance to Dedue she said, “Alright. Good luck with Flayn.” 

Dedue nodded with a small bow as they walked away. “Use caution.”

They made small talk most of the way to town. Dimitri talked more about the issues going on in the Kingdom, various sword techniques he had been working on with the children of the monastery that they had been training together, and various other things. Byleth was quiet for most of the walk, as she usually was. Dimitri was good at filling any uncomfortable silences.

As they got closer to the town, Dimitri finally asked, “Why are you looking for Edelgard in town, Professor?”

Byleth hummed softly and replied, “I asked around and heard she and Hubert left the monastery. I’m hoping to find her in town.”

Once they entered, they began to look around. It was closer to late afternoon, and the town was bustling with activity. There seemed to be more people than usual. As they looked around for Edelgard, they glanced at the wares of the various vendors. Byleth always kept an eye out for anything useful for class, seeing as she received far more in pay as a Professor than she had as a mercenary. Not that she had ever really needed money before coming to the monastery, anyway.

They saw no sign of Edelgard or Hubert, which was unfortunate. When they asked the innkeeper and other business owners about any suspicious activity, all they spoke of was the fact that they had had more business than usual with more travelers coming to and from the monastery. It hadn’t been anything too busy, just more than usual for the season. They also complained about the presence of more knights. Rhea had ordered more patrols of the nearby areas, and the locals were starting to get nervous.

They grabbed food from a nearby stall as the sun began to set. They strolled on the outskirts of town as they ate. Her mood was sour from what felt like a failure of a day. She was thinking about who else she could seek out, when Dimitri stiffened and grabbed her arm. Without any warning, his grip tightened as he pulled her into a crouch behind a nearby wall. She tilted her head to the side, and tried to listen as her heart rate spiked. She could hear a distorted voice speaking somewhere nearby. 

Sothis’ voice was groggy in her mind. **“What’s going on?”** She paused and then gasped. **“Ooh, I know… You are eavesdropping! What is happening?”**

 _“I can’t concentrate if you keep talking, Sothis.”_ Sothis huffed, but faded into the corner of her mind.

She peeked up over the wall and bit her tongue to hold back a growl. Sothis hummed quietly and said, **“I see… the Flame Emperor and Monica… as well as the mage who rescued her.”**

_“It’s time for revenge.”_

She began to stand, hand already on the hilt of her sword, when Dimitri grabbed her arm. “Not yet, Professor.”

 **“Byleth, this is a chance to hear their plans. Patience, patience! You must calm yourself.”**

Monica’s voice was so cheery, Byleth thought she might scream with the amount of anger and frustration she felt. “Oh, thank you. You saved me!”

When she glanced over the wall again, she finally got a better look at the mage that had protected Monica from her rightful death at Byleth’s hand. He wore black armor with gold accents. A flowing back cape ran down his back. His skin was pale and his eyes were completely white, seeming to look like he lacked pupils altogether. White hair that matched his eyes was slicked back from his pale skin. His voice was just as menacing as Byleth remembered as he responded, “If you were to die, then the mystery of our bodies would be revealed. Preventing that was my only aim.” _Wait… mystery of their bodies?_ “I’m afraid you must remain, Kronya. There is something I need you to do.”

Monica… _Kronya?._.. was practically preening as she grinned at the pale mage. “Oh, of course. I am always happy to cooperate with Solon. Leave it to me.” _The mage from Remire is working with them, too?_

The Flame Emperor looked between the two of them and shook his head. “How annoying.”

The mage looked at the Flame Emperor with a hint of something like amusement. “Flame Emperor… Is she offending you? Unfortunately, we cannot take our eyes off her, so there is nothing to be done.” His voice was almost reverent as he continued. “You are our greatest creation. We used the defiled beast’s blood as a fuel to your flame, that you may burn even the gods. Now is the time to cleanse Fodlan with that power, and bring forth our salvation.”

The Flame Emperor shook their head again as their distorted voice declared, “There will be no salvation for you and your kind. Those responsible for such gruesome deeds in Duscur and Enbarr.”

Dimitri tensed beside her and she put a hand on his arm to convey her sympathy and also to keep him still. Her own anger had subsided somewhat at the opportunity to gain information on three of the biggest threats to her students and all of Fodlan. She was grateful for the hardened mercenary within her that knew when to watch and listen.

“All so that you may acquire the strength you need. All for a purpose…” The mage was still speaking as Dimitri pulled against her arm. 

As she tightened her grip, she glanced up at the young prince. His eyes were narrowed as fury burned within them. His strength was too much for her as he ripped his arm away and muttered, “I’ve got you… Finally…”

“Dima!” She hissed, “Let’s keep listening. They may speak more of their plans.”

His head whipped over to face her and the rage that had taken over his features sent a shiver down her spine. “If we don’t act now, we’ll miss our chance!” 

He had spoken too loudly. The Flame Emperor turned in their direction. Byleth barely had time to pull him out of the way by his shirt as she stepped back, tripping on a stone, and they both crashed to the ground with a muffled yelp. The knife flew right above them and lodged itself into a wall just past them. Byleth stared up at Dimitri on top of her. She put a hand over his mouth and strained her ears, trying to figure out if they had been spotted.

The mage’s voice carried just enough for her to hear, “Even if someone has overheard us, there is nothing they can do. There have always been rats in the walls, and there always will be.” 

The silence stretched out for a long time as Dimitri stared down at her with wide eyes. After she was sure they had gone, she removed her hand from his mouth. Dimitri flushed slightly and quickly stood, holding out a hand to help her to her feet. “I apologize. I shouldn’t have let my anger get the best of me. Now we’ve missed an opportunity to…” His sentence trailed off as he glanced back at the dagger that had been meant for him.

His whisper was full of horror as he stepped forward. “No… the dagger…” He pulled it out of the wall with trembling hands and examined it. 

She stepped closer and put a hesitant hand on his shoulder. “What about the dagger? What’s wrong?”

Dimitri stared into her eyes and whispered, “It…” he shook his head and seemed to reevaluate whatever he was going to say. “Never mind. It couldn’t possibly be so.” He cradled the knife as she watched him curiously. He continued, “Professor, those are the ones we must destroy. They are the bastards that killed my family and Jeralt.” He tightened his hold on the dagger’s hilt and said, “As for the Flame Emperor’s dagger… I’ll hold on to it for the time being.” 

She nodded before she vaulted over the wall to search the area where the murderers had been standing, but there was nothing left behind besides than the dagger. Dimitri walked over to join her and she murmured, “This is bigger than I thought. “Cleanse Fodlan with their power”? And why would the Flame Emperor bring up Duscur and Enbarr?”

Dimitri gritted his teeth and rubbed his temples. “The Kingdom has been in shambles since my father’s murder. My uncle is too busy skirt chasing to properly rule, and I was deemed too young.” She took Dimitri’s hand and he shook his head. “It’s well known that the current Emperor has been stripped of most of his power. That is the reason that Edelgard was exiled with Lord Arundel for the year they were in the Kingdom. The Empire’s nobles were in chaos as the Insurrection of the Seven was happening.”

She hummed in agreement and looked at the ground. “So, this group has a hand in all of it. The murder of your family and mine, but also the tension that has plagued Fodlan for the last decade.” When she glanced up at Dimitri, his eyes were dark and he was looking around frantically. He reached up and began to massage his temples again. 

“I can’t believe that after all of my searching… they were right there… I KNEW the mages in the masks weren’t of Duscur.” He began to shake as he continued to rub his temples. “No one would listen to me… but now I’ve found them. The Flame Emperor, Monica, that mage…”

She whispered, “Dima?” and put a hand on his cheek. He startled and his eyes flew to her. “Let’s get you back to the monastery. I’ll try and help your headache so you can rest, okay?” Dimitri’s jaw clenched as he looked to the side, but then he nodded. His eyes were still dark, and his skin looked pale. She wrapped her arms slowly around his waist and rested her head on his chest. She whispered, “It’s alright, Dima. We’ll find them. We are in this together.” Dimitri let out a deep exhale and wrapped his arms around her slowly.

“I’m sorry, Professor. I’ve been looking for answers for so long... The dead… they wish to be avenged. I’m so close to my goal…” 

She nodded against him before slowly pulling away. “I understand. We’ll find them again.”

Dimitri was locked in his own thoughts, muttering quietly to himself, as they walked back to the monastery. The sun had set, and Byleth was on high alert. 

**“This is no longer just about you and the young Prince. We must stop these foes for the sake of Fodlan’s peace, Byleth.”**

_“I know… But why would they kill Jeralt? What was the point?”_

**“He was the Captain of the Knights of Seiros, and the father of the wielder of the Sword of the Creator. Monica also said you ruined her plan with all of those students that had been turned into demonic beasts. Maybe they have been using the blood of that girl, Flayn, to experiment on people.”** Sothis hummed quietly before continuing with, **“I fear the curious one may be right. I think they may be after you, next.”**

_“Well good, because I’m after them. I’ll make all of them pay for what they have done.”_

They were greeted in the market at the entrance of the monastery by Dedue, who had been waiting for Dimitri. As soon as he caught sight of his liege, his eyes darkened. “What happened?”

She shook her head softly and said, “Not here. Let’s get him to his room.” Dedue nodded solemnly and walked with them. He stood in front of Dimitri’s door as she worked to help his headache. Dimitri fell asleep again, still mumbling under his breath.

When she walked out, she found Dedue and Sylvain standing in the hallway. Sylvain raised an eyebrow and whispered, “By? What are you doing in His Highness’ room?” She looked around the hallway, before nodding her head in the direction of the door leading outside. Both boys followed her all the way to her room, where she promptly locked the door behind them and went to stand by her desk.

“Dima and I overheard the Flame Emperor talking to Monica and the mage that appeared the day Jeralt died.” Both boys’ eyes narrowed as they stared. Sylvain stepped forward and scanned her for injuries, making her roll her eyes. “We didn’t fight them. We stayed hidden for the most part. Dimitri tried to attack them, but I pulled him out of the way before he got hurt.” 

Sylvain pulled her into a hug and whispered, “Are you okay?”

She stepped back and shook her head, not ready to think about how all of it made her feel yet. She pushed on with her report of everything that happened. “It’s bigger than just the death of my father. The Flame Emperor said that the mage I saw was involved with the Tragedy of Duscur and something else in Enbarr.” Dedue’s eyes darkened as both of them stared in disbelief. “These people are responsible for all of the chaos in the Kingdom right now. I have to stop them… and I’m worried about Dima.” She rubbed her forehead and sighed. “It was certainly more than I bargained for from a trip to town. And my father… he was just a…” her eyes began to burn and she turned away from them.

Dedue cleared his throat and said, “I will keep an eye on His Highness.”

She nodded, but didn’t turn toward him. “Let me know if he needs help again.” 

“Thank you, Professor.” The door opened and then shut with a click. She heard the lock slide into place and then footsteps as Sylvain walked back over to her and put a hesitant hand on her shoulder.

He asked, “What can I do to help you right now?” 

Her voice cracked as she whispered, “Jeralt was just a victim in all of this. Claude thinks they may have actually been after me because of the Sword of the Creator. Rhea thinks they definitely are now. She’s trying to keep me out of the investigation. She told the knights not to give me any information.” Tears started to slide down her cheeks as she turned to face Sylvain. “Is it my fault he’s dead? What if it’s all because of my Crest and that stupid sword?”

He grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. He didn’t say anything, he just held her as she tried to pull herself back together. “We never should have come here. If we hadn’t, Jeralt wouldn’t be dead. Maybe none of this would even be happening…”

Sylvain stiffened and whispered into her hair, “Do you… really wish you never would have come to the monastery?”

She sobbed and tightened her grip on his shirt. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t say that to you. I just…” She shook her head and pulled back. “Everything has gotten so much worse since the day I put my hands on that damned sword. I can’t help but think that my life would have been so much less complicated if I hadn’t come here. I wouldn’t be feeling this right now, and my father would still be here.” 

Hurt crossed Sylvain’s face as he bowed his head. Her heart twisted, and she put a hand on his cheek. “I am glad I have you, though.”

Sylvain stepped away and sat down on the bed. He put his head in his hands for a while, and she cautiously went over to sit beside him. After a moment he raised his head and turned to stare at her. His eyebrows were furrowed, and his lips were pulled into a frown as he took her hand. “By… I know you want to go after these people, but I want you to promise me that you won’t do anything crazy. I want you to promise me that you are going to survive all of this. I don’t want to lose you.”

She pulled her hand away and looked down at her lap. “I can’t promise that. I don’t plan on dying, but I can’t make promises like that as a mercenary.”

“You aren’t a mercenary anymore, By. You are a professor.”

She shook her head and turned to look at him. “I’ll always be a mercenary, Sylvain. There’s always a chance I won’t make it out of battle. It’s always been like that, and it always will be.”

Fury flashed over his features as he quickly stood. “How can you be so nonchalant about your own life? How can you not care, even after you just lost Jeralt?”

Irritation coursed through her as she also stood. “I’m not a noble, Sylvain. My life has always been like that. You have no idea what it was like growing up like I did. People always died, and the next day was never promised. Why are you so angry about this?”

“Why am I angry?! What about me? What about Fe? What about the rest of the Lions? You don’t care what happens to us if you die?!” His cheeks were flushed with anger as he stepped closer to her. Her chest tightened and she raised a hand to put it over where her heart should beat.

“Syl…”

He shook his head and grabbed her arms. His voice cracked as he pleaded, “By… I can’t lose you. You’ve been there for me through everything, no matter how much shit I put you through. I…” He shook his head as his voice cracked again. 

She raised a hand to place it on his cheek and he leaned into it and shut his eyes. “I’m not trying to leave you, Sylvain. You are one of the only people I have. Do you think I’m going to throw that away?” She tried to smile as he opened his eyes, but he still looked so sad. She raised her arms up to wrap them around his neck as he pulled her close. 

He buried his head in her neck and whispered, “I can’t lose you. Please… just… promise you’ll be careful. Can you at least promise me that?”

She ran a hand through his hair and whispered back, “I promise I’ll be careful. I have to come back and keep you guys safe, right?”

She felt a tear on her neck as Sylvain tightened his hold. He nodded slowly, but didn’t say anything. She whispered, “I’m sorry I said anything. I train hard to survive, Sylvain. I won’t throw my life away, okay?” Again, he nodded as more tears ran down her skin. Her eyes burned as she clutched him tighter.

Sothis softly whispered, **“See? You aren’t alone, dear one. You still have people who love you.”**

 _“People who love me…”_ Her chest tightened even more and a tear ran down her cheek. _“Yeah… I guess I do.”_

~Sylvain~

_Goddess… what the hell are you doing?_ He cracked open his eyes and stared at Byleth’s sleeping face. He bit back a groan as he turned onto his back. He raised a hand to rub the sleep from his tear stained face. As he adjusted on the bed, Byleth sighed in her sleep and nuzzled into his side. Warmth rushed through him as he brushed her hair out of her face. _Okay… this is the worst._

He hadn’t been able to shake the fear and helplessness he had been feeling ever since they ran into that clearing. The sound of her scream still echoed in his head. It kept getting worse through every day of having to watch Byleth try to handle her anger and grief. All of this talk of her going after Monica and the other enemies was terrifying him. She had become so important to him. The thought of losing her was too much for him to try and handle.

 _What am I going to do about you?_ He shifted so he could look down at her. It was dark in the room, so he couldn’t see much other than her outline. He could feel the heat of her skin, and he could hear the sound of her steady breathing. _It’s becoming too dangerous… being this close to you._

With a small sigh he sat up and scooted down to the bottom of the bed, trying his hardest not to wake her. A sharp breath left her nose as she reached her arm out to the other side of the bed where he used to be, but she didn’t wake up. He stood and grabbed his shoes before sneaking out the door.

“What the HELL do you think you’re doing?!” He winced as Felix’s voice rang out behind him. He turned quickly and put a finger over his lips as he hushed Felix. “Don’t shush me, ASSHOLE. What do you think you’re doing?!” Felix ran up the steps and Sylvain grabbed his arm and dragged him away from Byleth’s door.

“She just fell asleep. Would you shut up?” Felix’s face contorted with fury as he slugged Sylvain in the arm.

“Why were you in her room this late?! You better not be-”

“Felix. Shut up.” He groaned and ran a hand down his face again. “She’s been having trouble sleeping the last two nights and…”

“And you SLEPT with her?!” Felix swung a fist at him again and Sylvain grabbed his wrist as Felix struggled against him.

“Yes, slept. Just slept. Now would you calm down? You’re going to wake the entire monastery.” Felix pulled his wrist out of Sylvain’s grasp and crossed his arms with a huff. “She’s been having nightmares about Jeralt. I fell asleep while I was keeping her company. Nothing happened.”

Felix scoffed and stomped in the direction of the dorms. He had his bath supplies in hand and his hair was still damp. _He must have been training really late._ Sylvain ran a couple steps to catch up with Felix and chuckled. “Besides, what does it matter to you? I thought your wish for the goddess was making Byleth taste defeat, not getting a taste of Byleth?” Felix froze and Sylvain turned around to look at him, already preparing to get punched again. 

The punch never came. Felix put a hand over his face and groaned. “She told you about that?”

Sylvain ran a hand through his hair and chuckled weakly. “Yeah, she did. What the hell, Fe?”

Felix groaned again and shoved him with his shoulder as he walked by. “Shut up. I’ve given up. I don’t care anymore. She’s probably going to get herself killed going after Monica, anyway, if she won’t let anyone-”

“Don’t fucking say that!” Sylvain startled himself with the volume of his voice. He threw a hand over his mouth and tilted his head back in frustration. After a moment he sighed and looked back down at a wide-eyed Felix. “Just… don’t say that. I’m worried enough as it is without you talking about it like that.”

Felix’s eyes narrowed as he scoffed. “Why are you freaking out?”

Anxiety curled up his chest as he stared at Felix incredulously. “Because it’s By?! Why wouldn’t I be freaking out? Her dad just died and she’s dead set on being the one to take Monica out, but now there’s an entire group to worry about and—”

“An entire group?” Felix’s eyebrow shot up. “What are you talking about?”

Sylvain grabbed Felix’s arm and dragged him toward the dorms. When they reached his room at the very end of the hall, he told Felix everything about what Byleth had told him and Dedue.

Felix dropped onto the bed as his bath supplies clattered to the floor at his feet. Felix dropped his head to his hands with a frustrated sigh. “What the hell is going on? This was supposed to be a boring year at the Officer’s Academy. Then I was supposed to go home and train to run the boring Dukedom. I wasn’t supposed to run into Byleth and have all of this shit happen.” Felix shook his head as Sylvain let out a sad chuckle.

“You’re telling me. I thought going through everything with Miklan was bad… now By’s father has been killed and there’s all these people trying to cause chaos…” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s all so fucked up.” He bit his lip and turned away as his eyes burned. _Goddess… now who’s the crybaby. Get ahold of yourself, Sylvain._

Felix stood and walked over to him. “Hey… are you okay?” Sylvain shook his head and startled slightly when Felix put a hand on his shoulder and turned him around. “She’s going to be fine. She’s Byleth! You’ve seen her fight.”

“I saw Jeralt fight, too.” He ran the back of his sleeve over his eyes and chuckled. “Goddess I’m a mess. I’m so anxious all the damn time… I need a fucking drink.” He walked over to his desk and took out the new-ish bottle he had stored away a couple weeks ago. He took a swig and held it out for Felix. “Want some?” Felix wrinkled his nose and stared at it for a while. “Fine… if you don’t want any—”

Felix growled, “Just give it to me…” and snatched it from his hand. He took a long swig and immediately coughed and spluttered. He glared as Sylvain let out the first genuine laugh in way too long. “Shut up. I’m not a borderline alcoholic like you are.” Felix took another, much smaller, sip and handed it back to him.

Sylvain chuckled darkly and took another drink. “Gotta do something to get through everything… right?”

Felix nodded his head and took the bottle from Sylvain’s hand for another, slightly bigger, drink. “I haven’t seen you with anyone in a while.”

Sylvain crossed his arms behind his head. “It’s not like there’s been time with everything that’s been going on. I can’t go on a decent date when all my brain can think about is how miserable Byleth is.”

Felix winced and took another drink. “Is it… really that bad?”

“She’s trying to hide it, but yeah… I think it is.” Felix bowed his head and put a hand to his forehead. “You’ve got to clear things up with her, Fe. You can give up on whatever feelings you have if you really want to, but don’t give up on her completely. She needs us, she doesn’t have anyone else.”

Felix whispered, “I know… but every time I try, I say the wrong thing and sound like a total asshole.”

Sylvain stepped forward and grabbed Felix’s arms. “I’ve had my share of asshole moments, especially with By. But… I think she just wants to hear that you care about more than the fact that she can teach you how to swing a damn sword. That should be easy enough, right?”

Felix groaned and leaned his head into Sylvain’s chest. “You’d think so. I made a complete ass of myself earlier, in front of everybody. It was awful.”

He chuckled as he rubbed a hand over Felix’s still damp hair. “Aw, Fe… have I failed as your best friend? I should have taught you how to talk to chicks AGES ago.”

Felix lifted his head and narrowed his eyes. “Who says you’re my best friend?”

Sylvain chuckled and pulled Felix into a hug as Felix yelped. “It’s alright, Fe. I know you love me. You’ll admit it one day.” 

Felix pounded a fist on his shoulder. “Get off me, idiot!” 

Sylvain laughed one last time and let go of the thoroughly blushing Felix. “Alright, alright…” He took a deep breath and sat down on the bed. “Now what are we going to do about you and By?”

Felix groaned and ran a hand through his hair. “Why do you keep talking about this?”

Sylvain sighed and flopped back on his bed with his arms out wide. As he stared up at the ceiling he whispered, “What if something happens to her? You really want her last impression of you to be that you want her to taste defeat?” He tried to make it a tease, but he failed. This wasn’t something to joke about anyway. Things were too crazy right now.

Felix sat on the bed and shook his head. “No. I really don’t.”

“Then fix it, dude.”

Felix flopped back on the bed and Sylvain moved his arm out of the way to give him space. Felix put his hands over his eyes and groaned. “I suck at this.”

Sylvain chuckled and reached out to put a hand over Felix’s face, making him squirm and fight him off. “I know you do. But she’s your friend! You can do it.”

After throwing Sylvain’s arm back into his chest, Felix smirked and raised his head. “Guess who’s joining the Blue Lions?”

Sylvain turned to his side and cocked an eyebrow. “Who?”

Felix chuckled darkly and took another drink. “Leonie.”

“You’re kidding, right? That bitch was just yelling at By in the dining hall this morning. Everyone is still talking about it.”

Felix nodded his head. “She challenged Byleth in the training hall this afternoon. Byleth kicked her ass several times and Leonie asked to join her class.”

Sylvain shoved Felix’s shoulder. “Well if By can do that, forgiving you should be a piece of cake!”

Felix shoved him back and then sighed. “Let’s hope so.” 

~Byleth~

Things finally started to return to some semblance of normal the Monday after her trip to town with Dimitri. She resumed teaching and speaking with her, still very nervous, students. They all seemed to ease slightly through the rest of the day, but fear was still prevalent through them and the rest of the monastery. The Captain of the Knights of Seiros had been killed on monastery grounds. It may have been her father, but it was also someone these kids and the knights looked up to. It was someone who helped them feel safe. That feeling was now gone, especially with a majority of the knights gone.

That afternoon, Edelgard attended her tactics lecture. She hadn’t been able to find the Imperial Princess before now, so as soon as class was over she rushed out after her. Edelgard was greeted outside the door by Hubert, as usual. Byleth called, “Edelgard!”

Hubert grumbled, “Lady Edelgard” under his breath as she ran up, but Edelgard paid him no mind as she turned her attention to Byleth.

Edelgard’s face softened as she bowed slightly with her hand across her chest. “My teacher. I was so pleased to see you were teaching again.” She placed a hand on Byleth’s shoulder and somberly said. “What happened to Jeralt… it’s terrible. If there’s anything I can do, simply ask. Even if what you desire is revenge… I’ll gladly lend you my power. We can’t let them get away with this.”

Byleth nodded slowly. “Actually I was hoping to speak to you about Monica. It seemed you two were close, and I wondered if you knew anything that might be helpful in finding her.”

Edelgard stiffened slightly and tossed her hair back. “I’m afraid I don’t know anything that would be of any use to you.”

Byleth grabbed her hand and Edelgard’s lavender-colored eyes flew to hers. “Please… did she ever mention Jeralt? Did she ever mention me? Do you have any idea why she might have killed my father?”

Hubert’s deep voice behind her said, “Maybe he was sticking his nose where he shouldn’t have…” Before any rational thoughts could tell her to do otherwise, she had Hubert pinned to the stone wall beside the classroom with her elbow at his throat. He smiled menacingly and croaked, “Perhaps you should be careful where you stick yours, Professor.” 

“Hubert!” Edelgard gave an exasperated huff behind her but Byleth paid her no mind. 

Anger coursed through her as she tightened her hold on Hubert’s arm. She could feel the magical energy he was forming in his palm as she growled, “You think you can threaten me again, Hubert? You might find that I’m not in the mood when my father just died. Would you really like to try your hand?”

Edelgard drew in a sharp breath as Byleth drew the dagger from her waist, but Byleth just used it to pin the arm with the dark magic brewing to the wall. Edelgard hissed, “Hubert. What do you think you are doing, threatening our teacher?”

His piercing eyes never left Byleth’s as he sneered, “You took so much interest in such a common mercenery, my Lady. I had to determine whether she would pose a threat to you.”

Edelgard huffed and whispered, “My teacher. I’m so sorry… Hubert can be intense, but he does mean well.”

There was a gasp and a chuckle as Dimitri and Claude left the classroom. Dimitri’s eyes hardened as he took in the situation, but Claude’s eyes were full of mirth as he said, “I think you picked a fight you can’t win there, buddy.”

She pushed against Hubert’s throat, causing him to let out a choked sound before coughing as she let him go. His hands clenched into fists at his sides as he glared at her. “I was merely warning the Professor that it is in her best interest to think over her options carefully.”

Dimitri practically growled as he stepped in front of her. His voice was icy as he said, “And I would warn you that threatening our teacher’s welfare is unwise.” 

Edelgard huffed and walked over to stand in front of her retainer. “Honestly, Hubert. What were you thinking? She just lost her father. You’re lucky she didn’t harm you.” Hubert seemed to settle and looked down at the ground in the face of her scolding. She turned back to Byleth and sighed. “I really am sorry for your loss, my teacher. You have my blade if you wish to seek revenge. I may have known Monica, but she no longer has any of my allegiance after her actions. They were unforgivable. If I had known, I would have stopped her. You have my word.”

Byleth nodded and put a hand on the, still tensed, Dimitri’s arm. He moved to stand near Claude as she said, “I appreciate that. For now, I’m just gathering information. I don’t want to drag students into any of this if I can help it.”

Edelgard’s lips pursed as her eyebrows furrowed with concern. “If you are sure, my teacher.” She bowed slightly again and grabbed a glaring Hubert’s arm as she walked away.

“Are you alright? Did he hurt you?” Dimitri was on her in a flash as soon as they rounded the corner.

Claude chuckled and put a hand on his arm. “Relax, Your Princeliness. Obviously Teach can handle herself.”

Dimitri sighed and straightened. “Yes, well it is unacceptable for him to speak to you that way.”

She shook her head and sighed. “Dima, he greeted me that way the first day I came here. Do not worry yourself over me, especially when it comes to him.”

“Have you found any information about Monica, Teach?” Claude’s hand settled on her lower back and she stepped away slightly. She was still upset with him after everything they had talked about in her father’s office. When she had gone back yesterday, Jeralt’s journal was gone. It was a stupid test to see whether he cared more about her feelings or the journal, and Claude had failed. She shouldn't be surprised, she knew he would take it either way. Claude was too curious for his own good at the best of times, but it still hurt. 

Dimitri looked them both over and said, “We should probably fill you in on what transpired the other night in town.” He nodded his head toward the classroom before walking in. Claude raised an eyebrow to her before heading in after him. Dimitri retold the events of what they had overheard. His shoulders were tense and his eyes were dark by the time he was done. She put a soft hand on his arm as he finished.

Claude whistled lowly stretched his arms above his head. “Whelp. That settles it. Something big is coming… the question is what?” He put a hand to his chin and his eyes became calculating. “We have to find these guys, Teach.”

She nodded. “I know that. I’m hoping Shamir will have more information when she gets back from her scouting trip. The problem is that Rhea is working to keep me out of this, so I can’t be open about asking questions. I’ve been pushing it as it is.”

Claude flashed her a grin and winked at her. “Well, that’s why you have me and His Princeliness, Teach! We’ll talk to the knights and see what we can find out.” He patted a hand on Dimitri’s shoulder and the Prince immediately straightened. 

“Yes, of course, Professor. Anything we can do to help.” His eyebrows furrowed as he stared at her. “Are you certain you will not allow us to join you? You may need help if Monica has managed to create more of those Demonic Beasts…” His voice was softer as he continued. “I couldn’t stand it if something were to happen to you.”

Claude’s eyes were on her as she shook her head. “I can’t risk your safety. I do appreciate the fact that you are willing to lend your aid.” She sighed and nodded. “But if you are willing to be discreet and try to gather information from the knights, that would be a big help. Whenever I ask, all they do is talk about my father.” Her lips pulled down into a frown as she turned away. Talking about her father still stirred too many emotions in her.

She walked to the door and called over her shoulder, “Let me know if you find anything!”

She headed to lunch, and after grabbing a tray of food, glanced around the dining hall. Flayn stood and waved and arm, a huge grin on her face. Byleth nodded and headed over to sit with her and Seteth. Flayn smiled at her as she sat across from them. “Oh, Professor. It’s so good to see you around the monastery again. I’m so sorry about your father. It’s times like these when I realize how very fortunate I was that you were able to find me. Right, Brother?” Seteth cleared his throat and nodded, but couldn’t seem to hold her gaze. He stared at his food as he took slow bites.

She raised an eyebrow at Flayn, but Flayn just shook her head with a sigh. “You must forgive my brother. He has been terribly busy ever since…” her voice trailed off and her eyes glistened as she stared at Byleth. She pointedly said, “I’m afraid the fatigue has made him rather rude.” 

Seteth stood and cleared his throat. “If you will excuse me, I have more work to do in my office.” He stepped away from the table and paused before turning back to them. He put his free hand over his heart and bowed his head. “I am very sorry for your loss, Byleth. I have failed you again, it seems. Please know that Flayn and I are here for you, whatever you may need.” With a small nod he fled. She watched his back as he left, curious about why he was acting so strange.

Flayn sighed and took a bite of her food. “He really does hold you in high regard. He’s been so tense, ever since the Captain’s death. Both he and Lady Rhea are beside themselves.”

Byleth hummed and took a bite of her food, not wanting to discuss Lady Rhea with Flayn of all people. Flayn smiled again and tilted her head. “The same air of mystery that is so fascinating to me, puts him on edge. I’m afraid that even after all you have done for the monastery he is still wary.”

Byleth tilted her head to the side and took another bite. “You think I’m mysterious?”

Flayn giggled and nodded her head. “There is something different about you, Professor. I could not help but notice when first we met. I am intrigued to say the least. I find it difficult to put into words, but if I were to wax poetic, I would say that you remind me of the sea. Have you ever been Professor?”

She nodded and Flayn smiled. “The sea is vast, boundless. On the surface, all seems still. Yet beneath that stillness, it is unfathomably deep. Within, it teems with life. But without, one is lucky to glimpse a fleeting shadow. And yet, all one must do is cast a line to grasp hold of all that life! You cannot see it at a glance, but it is there all the same.”

Byleth smirked and pointed her fork at Flayn. “Is this you asking me to go fishing with you again? You could just ask, you know.”

Flayn shook her head. “Oh bother, I got sidetracked, didn’t I? Right… about the sea… During a storm, the once calm waters become mighty enough to overturn even the mightiest ships. Not unlike you. You are calm-- you carry yourself with poise. Yet you wield great power. And still, despite your unknowable depths, there is something… familiar about you.” Her eyes took on a faraway look as she smiled. “It’s as if we have met somewhere, long, long ago…”

Sothis appeared and sat above Flayn, staring down at her. **“I feel the same way…”**

Byleth concentrated on Flayn’s face. “You think we may have met before?”

Flayn shook her head and her eyes focused back on Byleth. “No, I do not think so. It is all quite strange, really. I wonder if we might be distant relatives.” She giggled and shook her head. “No, that cannot be it either. After all, if we were related… that would mean…” 

“That would mean, what?” Byleth shifted forward and Sothis moved closer to Flayn as well.

Flayn stared at her for a while and mumbled, “Hm, though considering all that Rhea has done, it is not entirely outside the realm of possibility…” Byleth blood ran cold and Sothis’ eyes widened as she recoiled.

**“What does she know?! Does she know what Rhea did to you? What are she and her brother hiding from you?”**

Byleth’s voice was hesitant as she whispered, “Flayn… is there something you wish to tell me?”

Flayn sat up straighter and shook her head. She giggled nervously and said, “Just that I know you are special, Professor. I’m sure my brother does, as well. I have had the opportunity to learn much from you over the past few months. For whatever reason, I feel deeply connected to you. And for this I am glad.”

Byleth fought to keep a neutral face, even as something akin to disappointment settled in her stomach. “You have become quite the young mage, Flayn. I am proud of the progress you have made.” Flayn beamed at the praise.

She stood with her empty tray and said, “Well, Professor. I’m afraid I have taken up too much of your time. I will see you in class!” She turned to walk away as Byleth stared down at her plate.

**“Can we trust her?”**

Byleth slumped and played with the food on her tray with her fork. _“Before I would have said yes… but now?”_ She sighed mentally and took another bite, the flavors were like ash in her mouth. She gave up and stood to take her tray back. _“She mentioned some things Rhea has done… and the way she said it…”_

**“You think the girl might know what Rhea did to you. And if the girl knows, so does her brother.”**

_“Exactly. We can’t trust them if they are keeping it from me, no matter how connected you may feel.”_

She started walking in the direction of her room when Sothis said, **“Look there.”** Sothis appeared a few feet ahead of her and pointed toward Linhardt, who was walking toward his room looking unusually glum. **“The sleepy mage looks upset, does he not?”**

Linhardt had been unusually quiet over the last couple days. She didn’t think much of it, normally he kept to himself anyway, but he did look rather upset. She nodded and walked over as Linhardt shut his door behind him. Once she reached it, she knocked softly. His voice called, “Not now, Caspar. I’m absolutely exhausted.”

She called back, “Linhardt, it’s me. Are you alright?” Things were quiet behind the door and she was almost ready to step away when she heard shuffling and Linhardt pulled open the door.

He stared up at her with his big blue eyes and muttered, “You are asking if I am alright?”

She nodded and looked him over. His appearance was more disheveled than usual, and what she could see of his room from this angle was a mess. Linhardt sighed and pulled her into the room, shutting the door behind her before lying down on his bed. _He never was one for decorum. Though I appreciate how comfortable he is around me._

His eyes were closed as he said, “I was up all night rummaging through the vaults to see if there was anything that may be useful. There is a group of people determined to kill us, after all.” She bit the inside of her cheek and tried to push down the surge of worry for her students. _Is that why he’s been so quiet lately? Is he worried for his safety?_

He opened his eyes as she sat on the edge of the bed, frowning down at him “Oh, don’t give me that look. This is no time to ask permission. I learned long ago that one can ask permission of forgiveness. It is rarely useful to request the former.” She shook her head lightly and he smirked. “Still, it appears the knights have already taken everything useful. There were a few Crest-related objects I thought might be worth studying, so--” 

At her frown he huffed and closed his eyes. “There you go again with that stern look. Of course I’ll put them back when I’m done. Assuming they bear no additional use…” He trailed off and let out a sad sigh.

“Linhardt… are you sure you’re alright?”

His eyes opened and she noticed tears at the corner of his eyes. “I can’t help but worry, Professor. The Captain was strong, so much stronger than someone like me. All that anyone can talk about is how worried they are…” He turned away and buried his face in his pillow.

She reached out and gently rubbed his shoulder, unsure of what to say. After a moment, he whispered, “Professor… I hate all of this. Why do we fight until we die? I hate it. I don’t like taking lives or even the sight of blood. Seeing the Captain like that…” he trailed off and started trembling slightly. “He was someone so skilled, and even he was killed. Just the thought frightens me. I’m not suited for battle, Professor.”

She ran a hand through his dark green hair and whispered, “There are some fights you can’t run from, Linhardt.”

He still trembled under her hand and whispered, “I suppose that’s the nature of the world, isn’t it.” He turned back toward her and his big blue eyes were soft as he asked, “Professor, you take all this time to lead me and teach me like this every day… Could the reason be that you don’t want me to die on the battlefield?”

Her heart twisted as she stroked his hair again. “As long as I’m here, I won’t let you die.”

His eyes widened slightly and a faint smile curved his lips. “That’s a bold statement, Professor. But…” He leaned into her hand and closed his eyes. “… for whatever reason I want to believe you.” He chuckled softly and said, “You are a really strange person, you know.”

The corner of her mouth twitched up slightly as she began stroking his soft hair again. “You have no idea.”

He opened his eyes again. “I want to ask something of you…” He stared up at the ceiling with his brows furrowed in thought. “I…I don’t want to kill. I don’t want blood on my hands. I just want to lie on my back and soak up the sun filtering down through the trees…” He turned his gaze to stare into her eyes. “I want you to help me make that a reality.”

She sighed heavily and bit her lip. “I want you to continue working on your faith magic… but I’ll try my best to keep you away from the fighting.” He smiled slightly and she narrowed her eyes. “But you must fight back when necessary. You are young, and I want you to have the future you desire. You won’t if you don’t know how to defend yourself. I can’t always be by your side to defend you.”

He sighed dreamily as he stared up at the ceiling. “Oh, to have the wielder of the Sword of the Creator always by my side so I never have to do any fighting. That sounds awfully nice.” He chuckled. “Though I’m sure the Crest of Flames should be used for more than just being my personal guard. You will let me do more to study your Crest… right Professor?”

She smiled down at her eccentric sleepy mage. “Continue to attend your classes, and after graduation you can study it. How does that sound?”

He smiled and relaxed back into the bed. “That sounds nice. But for now, I need a nap. Rummaging through the vaults was thoroughly exhausting. Will you be joining me, Professor?”

She chuckled and shook her head. “I have a class to teach… a class you should be attending.” His lip pushed out in a pout as he pulled the blankets higher around him. She sighed and gave him a stern look. “But… I suppose I could just bring you the notes later… IF you promise not to do any more breaking and entering until all of this blows over. The knights won’t give you the opportunity to ask forgiveness if they catch you, right now. Everyone is too on edge. I don’t want anything happening to you. Deal?”

He pursed his lips and looked off to the side. “I suppose I can behave… for now.”

She stood and walked to the door. “Good. I’ll come by to drop off your work later this afternoon.” She opened the door and glanced back at the, already starting to doze, mage. “And if you ever need to talk, don’t hesitate to come to me. It’s alright to be afraid sometimes, Lin.”

He turned his head to smile sleepily up at her. Through a yawn he said, “Thanks Professor. Now go… I need rest.”

~Felix~

He had watched Byleth over the last two weeks as she grew more and more restless. All of the Blue Lions, and some of the students in the other classes, such as Claude and Edelgard, were all watching her warily. She had the mask of neutrality up, and there were brief glimpses of other emotions as people continued to come to her for help, but she was becoming more and more restive.

Merecedes and Annette were quick to offer tea parties and baking, but she would decline stating she was busy. Caspar and Raphael were always asking her to train, which she did, but she was more brutal than usual. Even they gave up after a few times, their bodies not up to the beating she was giving them. No one could seem to get her to relax. 

She left the grounds every night, and was gone most of the day on free days. She wouldn’t tell anyone where she went, but she was always in her battle gear with the Sword of the Creator in tow. When he had followed her one morning, he watched her talking to a merchant near a stall in the market. The merchant had asked for help in routing bandits from a nearby bridge. The bandits had been making the merchants pay a heavy toll in order to cross, and those that were unable to pay could no longer sell their wares at the monastery. They were desperate for help, and the knights were all gone on scouting missions.

When she returned that night, Felix cataloged every bruise and cut. “You look awful.”

She narrowed her eyes and walked right past him. “What do you want, Fraldarius?” _I HATE it when she calls me that._

“You could have asked for help. I could have come with you.” He followed close behind as she walked around the fishing pond and toward the bath house.

Her tone was nonchalant. She seemed to be completely unsurprised that he knew she had taken on the mission. She shrugged and stated, “I wanted some extra training.” 

“Isn’t that what the training hall is for?” All he got in response was a scoff. “How many were there?” 

She sighed and ran a hand through her tangled hair. “About twenty or so. Nothing I couldn’t handle on my own.”

He grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. “You just took on twenty bandits by yourself?!” She stared at him, unflinching, as he groaned. “You are being reckless! You see that don’t you?!”

She rolled her eyes and started walking in the direction of the bath house again. “I’m not getting the training I need here. I need to do something to sharpen my skills.”

“What if something happens and no one is there to help? Even you can get overwhelmed. What happens then?” She froze for a moment, before she started walking even faster. Felix had to jog to keep up.

“Well if something happens, make sure you and Sylvain take care of each other.” It almost sounded like a tease, but her voice was too soft. It filled him with anger anyway.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop again. She wouldn’t look him in the eyes, which he found annoying, even though he normally hated eye contact. He growled, “That’s not funny. He’s a mess over all of this and you know it. He’s only acting like everything is fine because that’s what he always does.” She clenched her jaw and tore her arm away so she could continue walking. He gave an exasperated sigh and yelled, “Will you just stop so I can talk to you?!”

She turned her head slightly and said, “I’m a bit busy right now.”

He crossed his arms in a huff. “I’ll wait.” He continued to follow her as she stopped at her room and grabbed her bath supplies. She rolled her eyes as she walked past him toward the bath house. He stood outside while she got cleaned up, and she groaned when she saw him still standing there when she was done. He bit back a smirk at her frustration. “I said, I’d wait.”

He continued to follow as she walked off in the direction of her room and opened the door. She waved her hand for him to come in and he did so. He took a seat on her bed as she shuffled around the room. She put away her supplies, and cleaned up a little as he watched from the bed. She left for a moment, before coming back with platter that held a teapot and teacups. She poured him a cup and he took it. He bit back a pleased sigh as he drank the Almyran Pine Needle tea that he secretly enjoyed.

“I’m not usually one for tea, but this one is okay.” 

She nodded and stared into her cup. Her features softened slightly as she whispered. “It’s one of Claude’s favorites. When I tried it, I thought you might like it.” He could feel the heat crawling up the back of his neck at the thought of her, thinking about him while having tea with Claude. It filled him with some weird mixture of satisfaction and irritation. Her features became neutral again as she leveled him with her stare and in a stern tone said, “You wanted to talk. Talk.”

He sat up straighter on the bed and glanced toward the door, not able to make eye contact with her. He could hear the creak of her desk chair as she sat down to wait him out. He took a deep breath and said, “I’m sorry.”

She paused for a moment before asking, “For what?”

He cleared his throat and fiddled with the handle of his teacup before taking a sip. “It’s really more of a… blanket apology.”

She hummed slightly and in a mocking tone she asked, “Are you sorry for the things you said the night of the ball? For the way you handled things when my father died? For what you said about Claude? Or maybe it’s for yelling at me in front of my students, saying that I was going on an idiotic revenge mission… that is what you called it, right?”

He turned slowly until he could see her in his peripherals and nodded. “Probably all of the above.” She stared at him cooly and he began to bounce his knee. He cursed the fact that he wasn’t better at using his words. _Sylvain would know what to say right now._ He bit back a groan.

She huffed a breath out of her nose and stood to walk over to her dresser. She pulled out a needle and thread before coming back to sit at her desk. She lifted up her shirt and unwrapped a bandage around her torso and he hissed quietly as he spotted the wound on her side. She pulled out a bottle of some sort of liquor and took a few swallows. 

“What the HELL are you doing?” He stood and walked over to the desk. 

She took another swallow and placed the bottle down on the desk. “What does it look like I’m doing?” She held up the needle and threaded the twine through before lowering it to her skin. 

He reached out a hand and grabbed her wrist. “Why don’t you just go to the infirmary?”

She finally looked up at him and with her same deadpan stare said, “This is nothing. Why would I bother Manuela when I can take care of it myself like I always do.” She lifted her shirt more and he finally realized how many scars littered her skin. He was always so worried about trying not to look that he had never noticed. She was wearing shorts and a tank top, so he could easily see the silver scars that littered her torso, arms, and legs. He looked away quickly as heat flooded his cheeks.

He scoffed and motioned toward the bed. “Lay down.” She raised an eyebrow in question and he took the needle from her. “I’ll help you. Lay down.”

She grabbed the bottle and brought it with her to the bed. She took a few more swigs before finally laying back. Her voice slurred slightly as she asked, “Do you even know how to do this?”

He clenched his jaw as Glenn’s face popped into his mind. _Is it worth telling her?_ She quirked a brow at him when he glanced at her, her expression still a bit guarded as it had been since the night of that stupid ball. With a sigh he said, “Glenn used to hurt himself while he was training all the time. He taught me how when I was younger. He was stubborn and didn’t like “bothering” the healers… kind of like someone else I know.” 

Her eyes softened as she sighed and laid back. Her wound was shallow, right across her side. The sword must have just grazed her as she dodged out of the way. He placed his fingers on either side of the wound and she winced. She muttered, “your fingers are cold” under her breath and let a heavy breath out of her nose.

He began to stitch her up slowly, trying to keep his stitches as clean as possible. When he was done, he traced a finger around the edge of it and it made her shiver. He whispered, “Do you have any salve?” She pointed to the bottom drawer of her desk and he bent down to grab it as she took another drink. He warmed it between his fingers before applying it and grabbing the extra bandage to wrap it with. He took her hand to help her sit up, before slowly wrapping the bandage around her waist. Her eyes never left his face, and he tried to focus on what he was doing rather than on her stare.

When he was done, he sat back on his knees and whispered, “I’m sorry about Jeralt.”

She nodded as her eyes got misty. He couldn’t be sure whether it was the grief, or the alcohol, but her voice quivered as she whispered, “I miss him. I still can’t believe he’s gone.” 

A tear ran down her cheek and he reached out his thumb to wipe it away. “I know.”

“Does it get easier? Missing him?” Her eyes were wide and pleading, and the alcohol was heavy on her breath.

“I don’t know.” He shook his head but couldn’t tear his eyes from hers.

More tears spilled from her eyes as she whispered, “I’m just so damn angry and sad all the time. I don’t know what to do. I try to just be normal around everybody… but I don’t know how to even do that.” Her breath was coming in pants as he sat on the bed and pulled her to his chest. “It just hurts… all the time.” Her tears soaked into his white button up shirt as he rubbed her hair.

“I know… I’m sorry.”

Her hands gripped the front of his shirt as she cried, “He was always there. He always had the answers. He always knew what we were going to do next. I don’t know what to do now that he’s gone.”

Raven hair, blue eyes, and a wry smirk flashed through his mind as he ran a hand through her dark blue hair. He cleared his throat as his eyes began to burn. He buried his face in her hair and whispered, “I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a super long chapter because I want to get into the Sealed Forest and Byleth's revenge in the next chapter. (I'll be posting it later on in the week.) 
> 
> I plan on addressing Those Who Slither in the Dark even though this is technically a novelization of Azure Moon. There WILL be spoilers later on in the fic if you haven't played the other routes. I think it's totally stupid that they are never addressed when the Flame Emperor totally says that she's not involved, but the mage who saved Monica is. STUPID. It's all stupid.
> 
> I hope you guys liked the bits of fluff scattered throughout this chapter.
> 
> (I'm soft for Linhardt because I want to run my hands through his hair and nap beneath a tree with him. That's just how it is.)


	52. Chapter 52

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's revenge time, folks!

~Byleth~

It had been four weeks since her father’s death. The knights had all been coming and going as various scouting parties were dispatched. Shamir slipped her little rolled up pieces of parchment whenever she came back. They always said the same thing:

_**Nothing yet.** _

She burned each of them as the restlessness within her grew. Her students were wary, she could sense it. She was being watched at most hours of the day, and there was always someone trying to distract her. Bernadetta would go with her to place flowers on her father’s grave, Felix would spar with her, Raphael and Caspar would train with her. Claude talked her ear off about the latest subject he was looking into. Mercedes and Annette baked with her in the kitchen, Dedue and Ashe helped her with her cooking skills. Flayn would fish with her. Nothing could take her mind off of her father’s death and her need to find Monica.

She left the grounds every night to go out into the woods and train with the Sword of the Creator. She didn’t feel challenged enough by her students, and Catherine, the person she often trained with when she wanted a challenge, was busy scouting with the rest of the knights. Her favorite clearing to train in was in shambles by the end of the week.

She was taking solo missions on free days for the extra combat experience. The adrenaline of fighting pushed away all of the conflicting emotions within her. It was easier to numb everything and focus on fighting, but Sothis worried it was too dangerous. 

After Felix had found her that night two weeks ago, she had stopped. She had to turn back time for herself one too many times, and the concern hidden behind Felix’s anger poked at the back of her mind whenever she itched to go out and find another job. Sylvain had made her promise to be careful, and she had almost broken that promise. She wasn’t willing to risk it anymore.

Saturday morning, she woke to someone pounding on her door. She flung it open and found an out-of-breath Shamir. “We found her. She’s in the Sealed Forest. Meet me at the stables.”

Byleth slammed the door, threw on her mercenary gear, and strapped the Sword of the Creator to her side. It was still really early as she ran out the door. Most people weren’t even up yet, as she ran in the direction of the knight’s quarters. She pounded on Joel’s door, and he opened it after a few mumbled curses. His eyes instantly became sharp as they landed on her. He raised an eyebrow, the unasked question of whether they were finally ready to avenge their leader. She nodded and said, “Shamir found her. Wake everyone and meet me at the gate.” 

“Yes, Boss.” He grabbed his gear bag before pounding on doors as she ran to the stables.

She was saddling up a horse and speaking in hushed tones with Shamir, when Shamir suddenly grimaced and muttered, “Traitor.” Her eyes narrowed and Byleth bit back a groan. 

“I will not allow this!” Rhea’s voice was full of fury when Byleth turned around to face her. Seteth stood at her side and she was flanked by a knight who was cowering and trying to avoid Shamir’s glare.

Byleth shook her head and returned to her task. “I’m taking my crew and I’m going.”

Seteth’s voice was stern, but his face betrayed his concern. “This discovery comes when the knights are at their busiest. It is all too likely that our foes revealed themselves to lure you out there. They are the ones who took Jeralt from you… I know how you must despise them, but I must ask you to rein in your personal feelings for now.”

“You can’t stop me.”

Rhea grabbed her hand but Byleth ripped it away. Rhea’s eyebrows furrowed and she raised her voice as she said, “Please, Byleth. Do not act carelessly. I ask that you leave this to us.” Her features softened and her voice became pleading as she continued. “Losing you so soon after losing Jeralt would be unbearable.”

Shamir turned to stand at Byleth’s side. “Lady Rhea, Seteth. With most of the knights gone, we cannot afford for you two to leave the monastery undefended. You know we are stretched thin right now. Byleth’s crew is filled with solid fighters that all want to take these guys down. I’ll go with them to keep an eye on things.”

Byleth watched as Rhea sighed and closed her eyes. Byleth’s tone was cold as she said, “Do what must be done and give the order. You’ll have to have the knights detain me otherwise, and I won’t go quietly.”

Rhea took a deep breath and nodded slowly. “Understood. I will give the order. Destroy the enemy that is hiding in the Sealed Forest… You have the protection of the goddess on your side. Whatever happens, you shall overcome.”

“I won’t fail, Rhea.” Byleth put an arm over her chest and bowed before climbing into the saddle. Shamir was right behind her as they rode for the gate. Her crew was standing around the entrance to the monastery, all of them armed to the teeth with looks of determination and fury.

“This is it. This is the day we rain down vengeance on the bastards that killed Jeralt. Are you with me?!” She raised the Sword of the Creator and cries rang out from each of her men as she rode through them in the direction of the Sealed Forest.

_I’m coming for you, Monica. You’re going to pay for what you’ve done._

~Sylvain~

He woke abruptly to the sound of doors being pounded on before whoever was doing it reached his. He flung open the door and looked down the hall to see everyone’s faces were just confused as his own as people rubbed the sleep from their eyes. Claude stood further down the hall as he shouted, “Teach just left. They found Monica and her group. Are you guys coming?”

Felix cursed loudly, and it echoed down the hall. Dimitri muttered to himself as he slammed the door behind him and Sylvain could hear him crashing through his room as he pulled on his own armor. He ran down the hallway and found a group standing near the fishing pond. Claude, Edelgard, and Dimitri stood at the front as various students from all of the houses whispered to one another. 

More students trickled in as the Archbishop walked over with Seteth. Seteth cleared his throat and asked, “And what is it you think you’re doing?”

Claude grinned and nodded his head. “Your Grace! Seteth! Always a pleasure.”

Seteth growled, “Claude.”

Claude’s normal nonchalant attitude vanished as he nodded to the growing group of students around him. “We’re all going after Teach. She shouldn’t have to do this alone, not after everything she’s done for each of us.”

Dimitri nodded and bowed deeply, “Please, Your Grace. We would like to lend our help to our Professor.”

Rhea glanced around at the students before nodding her head. In a tone that sent a shiver down Sylvain’s spine she said, “See to it that she gets back safely.” Dimitri nodded quickly and called for everyone to move out as everyone headed to the stables.

Claude and Sylvain ran to the aviary to get their wyverns. When they were saddling up Claude whispered, “Why do I get the feeling I won’t like what happens if Teach doesn’t make it back?”

Sylvain nodded as a shiver ran down her spine. He whispered back, “I know what you mean. She terrifies me.”

Claude nodded and pulled himself into his saddle. “An issue for another day. For now, we need to catch up to Teach. I have a bad feeling about this.”

They flew through the air, flying back and forth to keep an eye on the line of students below them. All of the Lions were in attendance, including Linhardt, Caspar, and Leonie. Raphael, Lysithea, and Hilda had come from the Golden Deer. Sylvain could also see Dorothea, Petra, and Ferdinand from the Black Eagles. 

When they reached the edge of the Sealed Forest, he realized that it was going to be harder to fly Emery into battle than he thought. He and Claude landed as everyone circled up.

Claude called, “The Sealed Forest is up ahead. Visibility is awful there, so everyone needs to be extra cautious.” He dismounted and tied up his wyvern, so reluctantly Sylvain did the same.

Emery headbutted his torso as he rubbed her neck. “I know, babe. But it’s too hard to take you into the trees.” She cooed pitifully and he gave her a good scratch under her chin before walking over to stand near Felix.

Ingrid was also mournfully tying up her pegasus. “This is for Captain Jeralt. I will not falter.”

Leonie bashed the butt of her lance on the ground. “Right. Monica is going to pay for what she’s done.”

Felix drew his sword and began walking into the trees. “Enough talk. We need to find Byleth.”

Claude called after him, “These guys are undoubtedly planning something terrible. Everyone be on your guard, and get out of there if you’re in too much danger. Teach wouldn’t want anyone dying today.”

Sylvain ran after Felix as the Lance of Ruin pulsed in his hand. As much as it sickened him, he was glad he had it as they entered the clearing. Felix cursed under his breath as Dimitri shouted, “Demonic Beasts! The enemy was always intending to lure us here!” 

Byleth was surrounded by her crew as they confronted three demonic beasts and a battalion of soldiers. They were the same type of demonic beasts as the day the Captain died. He shivered as he remembered the body of the dead students that were left behind that day. The soldiers were in all black, with no symbols to declare any sort of allegiance. _Who do these people work for?_

Sylvain could hear maniacal laughter and he spotted a girl with sickly orange hair and pale skin on top of a small hill, overlooking everything.

Felix growled, “Who the hell is that?” 

Her voice was sickly sweet as she shouted, “Ahhh… more vermin in my trap? More fun for me, then! I’ll kill every last one of you!”

Dimitri let out a battle cry as he charged at the nearest demonic beast, with Dedue charging in right behind him. Sylvain heard one of Byleth’s men shout, “Hey boss?! We’ve got a problem!” 

Byleth cursed as she glanced back at all of them. “Keep the kids safe! I’m going after Monica!” 

She sprinted toward the hill as the girl at the top yelled, “My name is KRONYA! I told you, Monica was just a disguise!” Kronya groaned and then whined, “If this takes too long, I might be forced to escape.”

A group of soldiers charged Byleth and Sylvain spotted Felix and Dimitri already heading over to help. Sylvain groaned in frustration before turning back to the demonic beast in front of him. _The Lance of Ruin is too valuable against these things._ _I have to help the others._ He whispered a prayer that Byleth would be alright as he stabbed the Lance of Ruin into the neck of the already weakened demonic beast. It fell with a roar, leaving behind the disfigured body of a male soldier. They quickly moved onto the next one.

Claude, Ashe, and Petra took to the trees. Arrows flew out, sniping down enemy soldiers as they charged at the students. Edelgard, Raphael, Caspar, and Dedue all held their axes high as they charged toward the furthest demonic beast. Mercedes was helping Flayn pull one of Byleth’s wounded men out of battle as Ferdinand drove off any soldiers that strayed toward them. Lysithea was with Annette and Dorothea as they pelted soldiers with magic. Everyone was working together, it would almost be nice if the circumstances weren’t terrible.

After a lot of work, the two remaining demonic beasts finally fell and the students all rushed to take out the remaining soldiers. Sylvain whipped his head up to look for Byleth, Felix, and Dimitri. He gritted his teeth as he watched Kronya slash into Dimitri’s side. He let out a cry as he fell to one knee. Felix held out the Aegis Shield as he stepped in front of him, and Byleth circled Kronya to keep her away from the students.

Sylvain was sprinting up the hill, all thoughts of the others forgotten, as he watched them battle. Both were lightning fast as they struck and dodged out of the way. Byleth’s face was twisted with fury like he had never seen from her as she whipped out the Sword of the Creator. It struck Kronya in the torso and she clutched at her wound as she stumbled back.

Kronya laughed and slashed at Byleth with her blades. “You’re a fool to be so brazen. You’ll never avenge your father at this rate.” Her evil laugh echoed through the trees as she gleefully called, “I’ll have to kill you too! With my own hands!” She slashed at Byleth’s side with her blade, but Byleth didn’t even wince. She surged forward with the Sword of the Creator and swung at Kronya, but she flipped out of the way.

However, Kronya did not see him coming up behind her. He jabbed with the Lance of Ruin and one of her blades clattered to the ground as she lost movement in her arm. Her eyes widened and her face paled even further as the four of them began to stalk toward her. Felix charged forward to strike at her, but she took off running into the trees as flashes of pink light warped more soldiers in. 

Byleth took out the nearest soldier, a mage, and glanced back at them. Dimitri shouted, “Go after her! We’ll handle them!” 

Felix shouted, “No! That’s what she wants!” but Byleth was already sprinting after Monica. Anxiety curdled in his stomach as he tried to focus on the enemies in front of him.

Claude, Shamir, and Edelgard tore through the trees with some of Byleth's crew. Shamir raced after Byleth as Claude shouted, “Go after her, Felix! We’ll help here!”

Felix nodded and ran off. Sylvain cut down a heavily armored soldier before running after all of them. _Please be okay… Please… Please Goddess let her be okay…_

He ran through the trees, ducking and weaving through the branches. Byleth was not too far ahead of him, and he could see Felix just behind her. Kronya would stop long enough to fend off Byleth before trying to run for it again. He heard Byleth yell, “You can’t run from this! It’s time to pay for what you’ve done!” as she whipped the Sword of the Creator toward her. The sword missed, but Shamir’s arrow struck Kronya’s shoulder, causing her to trip and roll out onto what looked like an old pavilion. Stone pillars stood on all sides as she dropped into a defensive stance and drew a blade with her only usable arm. 

Kronya was trembling as she called, “But how? How could I really lose… to a lowly creature like you!” Byleth held up a hand to stop Felix, Sylvain, and Shamir as they walked to her side. 

Shamir nodded and put an arm out to hold them back. Felix pushed against it but stopped when she whispered, “She needs to do this.”

Byleth stepped forward slowly and raised the Sword of the Creator for a killing blow, but a flash of pink light appeared behind Kronya. Solon, the man from Remire that had disguised himself as Tomas, strode forward slowly. Byleth dropped into a defensive stance in the face of an uninjured foe. Shamir drew her bow and shot an arrow at Solon as he appeared, but the arrow bounced off of some sort of magical barrier that had formed outside of the pillars. “Shit!” Shamir cursed and circled around as she tried to get closer.

Kronya cried, “Don’t just stand there, Solon. I need your help!”

Solon's smile was cruel as he stepped toward her. “Yes. You most certainly do.”

Sylvain screamed, “Byleth!” His heart pounded in his ears as the thought of “this is wrong” played on repeat in his head. She didn’t turn to look at him, completely focused on the enemies in front of her. He wanted her to look, and he desperately wanted her to get out of there. His hands were shaking as he watched Solon step closer to Kronya.

“What the hell?!” Felix whispered in horror as Solon plunged his hand into Kronya’s chest. More footsteps echoed behind them and Felix turned to warn them as they all stared, eyes wide with fear. 

Solon stared down at his accomplice with a sneer. “Have no fear, Kronya. Your sacrifice will help to rid the world of the filthy vermin that have long infested it.”

Dark magic surged around the magical boundary, looking like dark flames as they circled Byleth. “Byleth!” Sylvain and Felix both screamed her name as the dark magic seized her arms and legs. She glanced desperately back at them, her eyes wide with panic and desperation. Sylvain’s heart felt like it had stopped and he couldn’t breathe. _This is wrong. This is wrong. This is wrong._

Kronya screamed in agony as Solon pulled out what looked like a dark and twisted heart. He smashed it in his hand and yelled, “The time has finally come, to unleash the forbidden spell of Zaharas upon our enemies!”

Swirls of the dark flames surged outward and all of the students and mercenaries stumbled back as the overwhelming power coursed through them. Sylvain heard whimpers but couldn’t turn, he couldn’t focus on anything other than Byleth as she struggled against the magic.

Kronya fell to the ground and reached out a hand to Byleth as she whimpered, “Help… me…”

Then in a flash of dark purple magic, Kronya and Byleth were gone. 

~Byleth~

The darkness was bitter cold as she glanced around. A flash of green light blinded her as Sothis shouted, “You fool! What were you thinking, charging right into an enemy’s trap? Are you just a boulder that rolls down any hill it’s on? No, even a boulder has more sense!”

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” She fell to her knees and held her head in her hands. Sylvain and Felix’s terrified screams of her name still rang in her ears.

Sothis screamed, “This darkness is terrifying! As you and I are one… I, too, am trapped within this void. But please consider this…” She glanced up as Sothis’ voice softened. “This realm of darkness we are in is separate from the world from which you came. I mean that it would take a god to leave this place. In time, our hearts and minds will cease to be. Are you prepared to die?”

“I have to get back to them, Sothis. I promised Sylvain…” She dropped her head to her hands again and trembled. “Oh goddess… I promised I was going to be careful. I was so full of hate I fell right into their trap! I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry…”

Sothis let out a heavy sigh. “I thought as much. I also do not wish to die… and yet… There is no other choice.”

She raised her head to look at Sothis and asked, “What choice?”

Sothis leaned her head into her fist and asked, “Do you recall your father’s diary? He said you were a child who never cried or laughed. I think I am the one to blame. I must have been asleep, but even then, I feel I was a part of you. I do not know how Rhea managed it, but she allowed me to exist inside of you. The truth is, I have always been with you. It is within you that I found my power yet again.”

She stood slowly from her stone throne and opened her arms. “The power of a goddess. The power of the progenitor god. My name is Sothis. By now, you must be well aware of what that means. I am the one who watches over Fodlan and the creatures dwelling there. I am Sothis, she who died and then returned.”

Byleth’s voice was an awed whisper as she slowly stood. “Sothis…”

Sothis smiled sadly and dropped her arms back to her sides. “There is but one thing left to do to save us from this darkness of eternity. I must now use the power of a god. However, I lack a body of my own. And so, I must relinquish all the power that I have… to you.”

Byleth shook her head slowly. “Sothis… no…”

“The time has come for you and I to join as one. And when that comes to pass… then I shall disappear.”

“No! I just lost my father! I can’t lose you, too! I can’t!” Tears blurred her vision as she tried to wipe them away.

Sothis shook her head as her face became solemn. “When I say disappear, I do not mean that all that I am will be no more. My soul will join with yours, and you and I will never be apart. But… I will no longer have the chance to speak with you. I shall miss it.” She chuckled and her voice was soft as she said, “So long have I been on this path with you. Through you, I got to see and hear the world. I even got to chastise you from time to time. I may not have acted like a goddess… but… it was certainly fun.”

She shook her head and began walking slowly down towards Byleth. “For all that you have done… Thank you. I’m glad that it was you to whom my fate was bound.”

“Sothis… thank you. You’ve done so much for me. You’ve helped me save the students, given me advice, you stayed with me when Jeralt died… you’re my best friend.”

“You have others who will look after you now. Tell Felix and Sylvain that I didn’t become one with you just for them to be fools.”

Byleth let out a sad chuckle and whispered, “They’ll always be fools…”

Sothis smiled and nodded. “That may be so… but I will always watch out for you all. I must admit I have developed a fondness for them, even if they are incredibly dense at times.”

Sothis took a deep breath and bowed her head. “Now… we must pray. For if we share this wish, our spirits two will join as one… Your wish… is to return to the forest, stop the enemy, and rescue the little ones. No need for words, I know your heart as though it were my own…”

“Your will and mine are now one. Both sides of time are revealed to you… and you alone.” Sothis walked to the bottom of the stairs and stood before. “You know I am the Beginning. What shall you do?”

Golden light sprang from the throne at the top of the stairs and flew down to circle Byleth and Sothis. Every nerve in her body felt like it was springing to life as the powerful magic shone around them. Sothis floated into the air and held out her hand with a sad smile. As she floated toward Byleth, she slowly disappeared. Everything went dark, and Byleth's body became numb. For a terrifying moment she feared it had not worked. But then, in a flash of light, her skin began to burn as unimaginable power coursed through her.

She knew what she had to do. She drew the Sword of the Creator and let out a mighty cry.

~Felix~

Panic gripped his chest as Sylvain fell to his knees and the boar roared in fury behind him. Solon smiled and whispered, “Be gone with you… Fell Star.” _Byleth’s gone… where is she?! Where the hell is she?!_

The boar charged forward and bashed at the magical barrier with his lance, making Solon turn toward the group of now terrified students and mercenaries. The boar screamed, “What did you do to her?! Where is she?!”

Solon walked forward to stand just on the other side of the barrier and lazily leaned on a staff as he replied, “She was swallowed by the mystical darkness of the forbidden spell. An eternity of wandering in a void of nothingness, never to return to this world…” Felix was frozen, he watched as the boar roared in fury and tried to hit the magical barrier again. A surge of magic struck out at him. He fell backward as Dedue and Mercedes rushed to his side.

Solon chuckled as he looked down at the boar. “Pathetic…” He looked to the sky and whispered, “To think… we almost had the Sword of the Creator…”

Annette stepped forward and cried, “That’s a lie! There’s no way the Professor is really dead!”

Flayn stepped to her side and nodded. “That’s right! Our Professor is no ordinary human!”

Claude called, “Teach wouldn’t die like this!”

Solon laughed coldly and shook his head. “It is possible that death has yet to find your friend. But there are worse things than death. Drifting through the darkness with no chance of escape… Overwhelmed with hopelessness… It must be torturous.”

Sylvain let out a choked sob as he dropped the Lance of Ruin to the grass and held his head in his hands. Felix reached out a trembling hand and felt him shaking beneath his fingers.

Edelgard’s voice was full of fury as she stepped up to the barrier. “Our teacher lives. I know it. You’ll pay for what you’ve done, Solon.”

The boar roared, “I’ll slice you into a thousand pieces as you watch with horror… You will know true pain before I finally allow you to die!” He stood and held out his lance as Dedue held up his shield beside him.

Solon laughed at them and shook his head. “How trite. But if you wish for pain, I shall oblige. If you prefer it so, you shall also be added to the ranks of the dead!”

Just as he was about to raise his hand, a blinding light appeared behind him. Solon whipped around to face it as gasps sounded out behind Felix. He grabbed Sylvain’s arm to pull him up, but Sylvain was frozen as he watched. The light grew, looking like a tear in the sky itself, as Solon gasped in horror. Felix heard Solon whisper, “So the Fell Star consumes even the darkness itself…”

Felix’s eyes widened as a figure stepped down out of the light. Sylvain gasped and slowly stood as Byleth straightened and held out the Sword of the Creator. It was Byleth… but her hair and eyes had changed, and her whole body seemed to glow with power as she stood before Solon.

Solon began to tremble and in a flash of pink light he warped further away. More flashes of light warped in a demonic beast and several enemies. Her hair and eyes still glowed and the Sword of the Creator looked like flame itself as she held it high and raced toward the enemies. She was somehow faster than she had been before, just a blur of black, grey, and green as she took out the soldiers. She jumped up high into the air and brought the Sword of the Creator down on the demonic beasts neck, instantly killing it as the dark magic dissipated. The soldiers continued to charge her as a powerful Aura spell fell from the sky at her raised hand. When the power faded the soldiers that had been standing there were gone. 

The remaining few soldiers crowded around her as she dropped into a defensive stance. Some of the mercenaries started to run forward to help her, but stopped when she unfurled the Sword of the Creator and swung it around her head. Soldiers fell with anguished cries as the Sword of the Creator twirled around its master. Her face was blank as she cut them down, one by one. Felix couldn't peel his eyes away from her. She was the perfect mixture of ethereal and powerful.

Solon shouted as she fought, “What did you see in the darkness of Zaharas? This should be impossible. The only being that can withstand that darkness is…” Flayn gasped and fell to her knees, her hands clasped over her heart, as Solon trembled in fear. “Unless I dispose of you myself, I may never have the chance to send you back there!”

Byleth slowly walked toward him as he started to tremble. “I am terrified by you…” dark magic began to form in his hands as he raised them “Even though an emotion like fear has no place inside of me. That means you must be eliminated.” The dark magic flew towards her, but with a slash of the Sword of the Creator it dissipated.

Byleth’s voice rang with power and authority as she stood before Solon. “Tell me, Solon. Who do you work for? What is it you wish to achieve?”

He chuckled and stepped back. “I will tell you nothing, Fell Star. You are the worst of the beasts… I have underestimated you… but this is not the end. Thales will carry out our mission, somehow… you’ll watch your world burn Fell Star!”

She plunged the Sword of the Creator into his chest, cutting off his evil laugh. He dropped to the ground in a heap as Byleth stood over his body.

Sylvain started running as Felix continued to stare in awe. His mind was still racing over everything that had happened as his feet began running. Byleth slowly turned and Sylvain tackled her into a hug, swinging her around in a circle before setting her back on the ground. Felix threw himself into Byleth’s back, looping his arms around her shoulders.

Byleth whispered, “She’s gone… she’s really gone…”

Sylvain pulled back and cupped both sides of her face in his still shaking hands. “Who’s gone?”

She shook her head and started to tremble as she grabbed each of them. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

Felix shut his eyes and buried his face in her hair. “You’re back. You’re okay. That’s all that matters.”

They stood together for only a moment, each of them a trembling mess. “Professor?” The boar’s voice sounded out behind them and Felix fisted a hand in Byleth’s coat as he stepped behind her. Sylvain had an arm looped through hers. The overwhelming terror of watching her disappear was not going to leave either of them very soon.

The boar smiled and stepped forward. “Professor… I’m glad you’re okay. And you seem relatively unscathed. I’m… I’m so relieved.”

“Teach, what the hell was that? You were gone… and then you cut a fucking hole in the sky?” Claude’s voice shook as he chuckled nervously.

Edelgard whispered, “Not to mention the immense power you wielded. And the change in your appearance…”

Byleth’s body stiffened as she reached up at stroked some of her now sea foam green hair with shaking fingers. She whispered, “The goddess gifted me her power.”

All of their eyes widened as they stared. The boar stepped closer and whispered, “The goddess appeared… and gave you her power? It’s as though… the legend of old has been made flesh. It’s hard to grasp, in all honesty.”

Edelgard nodded and said, “Indeed.”

Claude whistled lowly and exclaimed, “Except for the fact that she cut a hole in the fucking sky and took out a demonic beast with one swing of the Sword of the Creator!”

The boar chuckled and shook his head. “I find myself unable to doubt it.”

Byleth tilted her head and asked, “A legend of old?”

The boar nodded, “Yes. The legend of Saint Seiros. It is said that she received a divine revelation from the goddess and was gifted with her power. Long ago, the goddess dispatched Seiros to defeat an evil king who went mad with power. Perhaps the goddess saw the goodness of Seiros within you too, and wished to help you in your quest to defeat evil.”

He chuckled and put a hand to his chin. “If you’re Seiros, granted power by the goddess, then I suppose that makes me…”

Felix growled, “Shut up, boar.”

Edelgard rolled her eyes. “Well, don’t you think highly of yourself.”

Claude threw back his head with a laugh as the boar blushed like a maiden. “Ahhh… Your Princeliness… that never gets old.”

The boar shook his head. “Ah, never mind. I’m getting carried away.”

Byleth started to waver and he and Sylvain both took hold of her arms. Sylvain whispered, “By… are you okay?”

Her eyes rolled back into her head as she dropped backward. They were able to catch her before she hit the ground, and they rested her on the grass. Felix bent down to put an ear to her chest before shaking his head and checking her pulse. She was still breathing, and her pulse was there, but it was weak and her skin was hot to the touch.

The boar shouted, “What’s wrong with her?” and knelt down beside Sylvain.

“She’s asleep, Boar. Get away from her.” He didn’t move.

Claude put a hand to his chin and hummed. “I wonder if all that power was too much for her body to withstand.” He whispered to Felix, “She has a pulse, right?”

Felix nodded and Edelgard shook her head before turning back to the confused and still slightly terrified students and mercenaries behind them. “She’s alright, she’s just sleeping. Let’s patch up the wounded and head back to the monastery. We have quite the report to give.”

The boar whispered, “What is happening these days? Well, it matters not. We must get her help, and fast.” 

He scooped her up into his arms and cradled her to his chest as he smiled down at her. Felix growled, “Boar… what do you think you’re doing?”

The boar glanced up and had the audacity to smile at him. “I’m carrying her back to the horses… unless you have another way to magically get her back to the monastery.”

Sylvain’s jaw tightened as he stepped over and grabbed Felix’s arm. “It’s alright, Fe. He’s right. We need to get her back.”

Felix growled, “Don’t break her, Boar.”

The boar became serious as he stared down at Byleth. He whispered, “Of course, I won’t.” Before turning and walking away.


	53. Chapter 53

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... quick note.
> 
> Fusing with Sothis had a few important affects on Byleth. Emotions are heightened because Sothis' presence is no longer affecting that. Byleth's Faith Magic is now enhanced. (Think A+ ranking) She is drained right now, but after recovering we'll see some other interesting effects next chapter. 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy!

~Sylvain~

The ride back to the monastery was bordering upon agony as he rode as close to Dimitri’s horse as possible without terrifying the poor beast. Byleth’s hair glowed in the sunlight as her head rested against Dimitri’s neck. _“The goddess gifted me her power.”_ Byleth's quivering voice as she said it was now a song in his head.

 _What the hell?_ So many questions buzzed in his brain, but all he wanted to be able to do was make sure she was okay. Watching her step from a hole in the sky, and then single-handedly take out all of those enemies had been surreal. The physical ache in his chest when she had vanished was now a phantom pain creeping in the back of his mind that made him want to just… be at her side. Right now.

He had tried to get Dimitri to let him fly her back to the monastery, but Dimitri was adamant about being the one to carry her back. His little crush on the professor was starting to morph into something that was starting to scare him, and he could tell that Felix was feeling it, too. 

Claude and Edelgard had taken over the job of leading the others back to the monastery pretty well. There was a lot of confusion and fear amongst the students as everyone whispered about what happened. Flayn trailed after Dimitri as he walked toward his horse. She reached out a hand and ran in through Byleth’s sea foam green hair with a look of awe and wonder that made Sylvain’s stomach twist. 

When they reached the monastery, the Archbishop was waiting at the entrance with a full honor guard detail. Her eyes widened as her mouth split in a grin he could see from the sky. He flew over to the aviary and practically jumped off of Emery, calling over his shoulder to beg the handlers to take care of her before sprinting toward the stables. Claude wasn’t too far behind him as they skidded to a halt. Byleth, Felix, and the Archbishop and her detail were already gone.

Claude walked up to Edelgard and asked, “Where’s Teach? Did she wake up?” 

Edelgard’s demeanor was stressed as she glanced off to the side. “The Archbishop has taken her to her private quarters to rest.”

Sylvain’s heart dropped to his stomach as he glanced around. He spotted Ingrid and grabbed her arm. “Where’s Felix?”

Ingrid rolled her eyes and pointed in the direction of the Reception Hall. "He made a scene in front of the Archbishop. He probably tried to follow them to the third floor. Make sure the knights haven’t killed him yet, will you? Today has been too… strange… for me to deal with him.”

Sylvain barely let her finish before he was running toward the stairs to the second floor. He had only gotten half way up the stairway when he heard Felix yelling. “—thinks she can just take her away? She’s crazy?! I need to see Byleth, NOW!”

Seteth let out a frustrated sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose as Sylvain reached the top. “Mr. Fraldarius, you would do well to remember that it is the Archbishop you are speaking about.”

“I don’t give a damn. Byleth doesn’t have her father to look out for her now, so I’m doing it! The Archbishop doesn’t get to just hide Byleth away in her private quarters. I need to see her, now! Get out of my way!”

Seteth glared down at Felix as Sylvain put a hand on Felix’s arm. Seteth turned to look at Sylvain and Sylvain pleaded, “Please? We just watched her vanish. We were scared she was gone forever. We just need to be sure she’s okay.”

Seteth sighed and suddenly looked far older than he probably was. His eyes were weary and he showed real remorse as he shook his head and said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Gautier. The Archbishop has requested that the Professor stay in her quarters until she wakes. The Archbishop stated that they were not to be disturbed.”

Felix shook his head and opened his mouth to yell at Seteth some more, but Sylvain put a firm hand on his shoulder and said, “We’ll wait right here, then.” Felix flashed an accusing look at him, but Sylvain ignored him as he stared at Seteth. 

Seteth sighed heavily again and, after a perturbed glance up the stairs, walked into the Audience Chamber. He called over his shoulder, “They are not to be disturbed, Gautier.”

“What the hell!” Felix rounded on him and hissed, “You’re just going to let them take her away? Who know what she’s even doing to Byleth right now. You didn’t see the way she looked at Byleth…” Felix’s eyes narrowed as he ran a hand down his face.

“We don’t have a choice, Fe. What are you going to do? Call down the wrath of the Knights of Seiros? You’re of no use to Byleth if you’re dead.”

Felix glared up at him. “Now you are just exaggerating.”

Sylvain stared right back at him. “Am I?”

Felix huffed and crossed his arms as he leaned his back against the wall. He shut his eyes and whispered, “What the hell happened out there? My brain can’t process any of it.”

Sylvain sighed and slid down the wall until he was sitting next to Felix’s legs. “I don’t know. We need to talk to Byleth when she wakes up.”

Felix slid down and grabbed onto a part of Sylvain’s armor. Felix always used to do that when they were kids. He’d grab onto a part of Sylvain’s clothing when he was nervous or scared, but didn’t want one of the adults to see. It made his chest feel warm, easing some of the tension in his shoulders, even as his brain practically melted as he tried to process everything that had just happened.

Felix whispered, “It scared the hell out of me.”

Sylvain put his head in his hands as his eyes burned. “I know. Me too.”

“Byleth… She cut a fucking hole in the sky… Our friend, Byleth.” It was some sort of awed whisper as Felix stared blankly at the wall in front of them.

Sylvain let out a weak chuckle and moved his head back to lean against the wall. “Yeah… and she’s basically the new Saint Seiros… so…” _Goddess… just in case I didn’t feel inadequate enough… she has to be goddess blessed._

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms, the tell-tale signs of Felix turning his fear back into anger played across his face. “The damn boar is getting ideas. He’s thinking he’s the next Wilhelm like he’s not just a depraved beast in a prince’s skin.”

Sylvain sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. “Seriously, Fe?”

Felix turned to glare at him. “You saw him. He couldn’t control himself when he thought Byleth was gone. He threatened to cut Solon into a thousand pieces! And the way he looked at her afterwards… like she was some kind of goddess…”

Sylvain hesitantly whispered, “Well… isn’t she?”

Felix scoffed, but it was an empty one. It lacked the frustration or anger it normally held as he turned away from Sylvain. Sylvain could tell Felix was feeling just as unsure as he was. “She’s just Byleth.”

Sylvain hummed softly and watched the way his finger interlocked on top of his knees. “I hope your right. I really do… but other people aren’t going to see it that way. Word is going to spread fast. My father is going to have a stroke.” He chuckled weakly and ran a hand through his hair.

“Why would your asshole father care about Byleth?” Felix turned back and raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing. Never mind. Let’s just pray to the goddess that the stroke doesn’t kill him so I don’t have to go back to Gautier territory before it’s absolutely necessary.” He winked and Felix rolled his eyes, muttering something about how he was a dumbass under his breath.

After a moment of quiet Sylvain whispered, “Solon said that someone named Thales was going to finish their work. He called Byleth, Fell Star, and said she was going to watch her world burn…”

Felix nodded and clenched his fists on top of his knees. “I have a bad feeling about this. I think it’s only going to get worse.”

Sylvain nodded slowly and turned to look into Felix's amber eyes. “We really need to talk to Byleth.”

~Byleth~

Byleth drifted slowly back into waking to the feel of someone stroking her hair as they hummed. She whispered, “Sothis?” and lifted her hand to try and block some of the light that was in her eyes.   
She heard a soft gasp and a light chuckle. “So it is true then. You have been blessed by the goddess. You have spoken with her.” The image of Rhea above her gained clarity and nervousness radiated through Byleth. _Where are Felix and Sylvain? Where are the others? Where am I?_

Rhea smiled softly down at her and stroked her hair as Byleth’s head laid in her lap. “My dearest, you must stay still.”

“Rhea… where am I? What happened to the others? Is everyone safe?”

Rhea chuckled softly and whispered, “Everything is alright. There is no need to worry. Those who are trying to harm you are far away.” She hummed Sothis’ song as she stroked Byleth’s hair, making it harder and harder to resist sleep. Her body was exhausted. It felt like she had used the Divine Pulse too many times. She felt that now familiar feeling of burnout, before a warmth rushed over her.

Rhea stopped humming and whispered softly, “How lovely… it would be for this moment to last forever… I wish I could hold on to this time we have stolen… that you and I could create a world without end…”

“Rhea? What are you talking about?” Byleth tried to raise her head as her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Rhea pushed Byleth back to her lap with soft hands. “I have heard whispers of what happened to you. Your appearance… you have received power from the goddess herself. From the moment you took hold of the Sword of the Creator, I prayed that one day the radiant power of Sothis, which bathes Fodlan in its celestial light, might reside within you.” She paused for a moment and stared down at Byleth with overwhelming fondness. “But you are so much more than the light. You are my…” Rhea stopped herself with a shake of her head. 

Byleth tried to sit up again, but another wave of warmth rushed over her. She slightly slurred out, “Your what, Rhea? You think I’m your what?”

Rhea shook her head with that same fond smile. “Close your eyes, dear one. Sleep, just a while longer.”

Byleth shook her head as her eyes grew heavy. “I need to check on my students… Felix… Sylvain… I need to check on them…”

“They are unimportant now, my dearest one.” The words shook off any warmth Byleth had been feeling. She opened her eyes and rolled away from Rhea. 

“They are the only thing that is important.” Wooziness rushed through her as she stumbled toward the door. Rhea slowly stood and walked toward her, whispering words of comfort, as Byleth fumbled open the door. She stumbled out into a stone passageway and could distantly see a stone courtyard she recognized. _Rhea's quarters. She took me back to her room._ “Felix? Sylvain? Dima? Anyone?” Her voice was weak, but she turned to the stairs and walked toward them as Rhea followed. She heard running footsteps echoing up the stairwell and just as he appeared, she fell into Felix’s arms. 

“By?” He wrapped his arms around her, but her legs were weak from the burnout and the warmth. She sagged against him before he picked her up. “What’s wrong with her?! What did you do?!” Felix’s words were biting as Byleth closed her eyes and nuzzled into his neck.

Rhea’s voice was soft and she felt a gentle touch to her shoulder. “She’s fatigued from the goddess’ power. If you will bring her back to my quarters, she can—”

Byleth whispered, “I want to go back to my room.”

Felix stiffened and stepped back a few paces. “She wants to go back to her room. We’ll watch over her there.”

The Archbishop’s voice took on an icier tone. “That is not necessary. My bed is just through that door. You may set her down there.” _You may because I order you to._

Sylvain’s fake cheeriness broke through the haze in her mind as bigger arms took hold of her and she was pressed against cold armor. “That’s alright, Your Grace. We’ve got her! Jeralt asked us to look after her. Anything for the Captain and his daughter, right?”

 _Jeralt… father…_ The tightness in her chest ached. _Sothis… they are both gone…_ She felt a tear slip down her cheek and a calloused finger wiped it away. 

They were moving now as someone whispered, “It’s okay. We’ll get you to your room.”

“Stay…” it was the only word she could whisper before fatigue dragged her back into unconsciousness.

~Felix~

They gathered quite the crowd as Sylvain walked through the monastery grounds with Byleth in his arms. Felix walked in front of him and kept the scowl plastered to his face. His anger was meant for the Archbishop, but he felt ready to cut down anyone that would try to stop them. It mostly helped keep people back, though some of their friends walked alongside them, looking over Byleth and asking if she was alright.

“The Archbishop says she needs rest. We figured she would be more comfortable in her room.” Sylvain gave the same answer every time, and every time he received a nod and an awed smile as they glanced at Byleth’s sea foam green hair that was cascading down his arm, waving slightly with every step he took. Felix bit his tongue until it bled. The crowd was making him nervous, and they didn’t know if the Archbishop had done something to Byleth. 

They finally got back to her room, and Felix stood in the doorway as Sylvain laid her out on the bed and took of her knee guard, arm braces, coat, and boots. Felix watched Sylvain’s slow movements as he tried to make Byleth comfortable. 

Sylvain whispered, “She asked us to stay before she passed out.”

Felix sighed and glanced out at the pathway. A small whispering crowd of students was already forming at the bottom of the steps as they stared up at him. He tried to combat the heat that was crawling up his neck. The next door down opened, and Dedue looked him over.

He was still staring expectantly at Felix, so he said, “Byleth needs to sleep. She asked Sylvain and I to stay with her… but…”

“I will watch the door.” Dedue stepped forward and stood like a sentinel as he looked down at the crowd. The students looked up at him with unease before some of them drifted away. “You can go in. I will make sure she is not disturbed.” Felix continued to look between Dedue and the crowd, unsure of what he wanted to do. The urge to protect her and the urge to be by her side warred within his mind in a way that was rapidly giving him a headache.

Sylvain called softly, “Just say thank you and close the door, Fe.”

Dedue turned his head to Felix and they looked at each other for a moment. Felix nodded, and Dedue nodded back just as curtly. Felix gruffly said, “Dedue.” before nodding again and shutting the door and locking it.

Sylvain sighed from his seat on the edge of the bed and shrugged. “I guess it’s better than lapdog.”

“He’s willing to watch over Byleth. That earns a little respect, even if he thinks himself the boar’s mindless shield.” Felix glanced around the room and shifted awkwardly on his feet, unsure of what to do now. Sylvain had already shrugged off his armor and piled it in the corner, so Felix busied his hands with doing the same. He folded his much lighter armor and set it beside Sylvain’s.

He was walking toward the desk chair when Sylvain whispered, “Why don’t you just lay down next to her?”

Felix scoffed and pulled out the chair. Something bitter churned in his stomach as he spat, “That’s really your area of expertise.”

Sylvain rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his wild red hair. “Come on, Fe. You know you want to. It might help Byleth sleep more.”

Felix clenched his jaw until it hurt and walked over to the bed. Byleth’s hair fanned out on the pillow as she was curled on her side facing out to him. Sylvain was all the way at the end of the bed, propped up against the wall, with a gentle hand on her calf. Sylvain whispered, “It’s fine, Fe. I think she would appreciate it. You can stab me if I’m wrong.” There was a teasing note to his voice, but his face was serious as Felix’s eyes darted to him. 

Felix sat down gently, before laying down and facing away from Byleth. Byleth moved in her sleep, her hand reached out and lightly touched his back. He laid down on his back and Byleth mumbled something and nuzzled into his arm. He lifted it to wrap around her and she relaxed against his side, causing heat to spread up his cheeks in what was probably a ridiculous blush.

“Told ya.” Sylvain sighed heavily as his head leaned against the wall. 

Felix whispered, “Shut up” as he turned his head to rest it against Byleth’s.

  
It took several hours for Byleth to wake up. Some time during that, Felix had dozed off. He woke up to Byleth’s chin moving to rest on her hand on his chest. Piercing bright green eyes stared down at him as he opened his. He startled slightly, before remembering how her appearance had changed. She looked so different, but the crinkle in her eyes and the slight upturn of her mouth was so familiar. It was dark in the rest of the room, though Sylvain had gotten up at some point to light some candles.

Warmth spread through him as they stared at each other. After a moment, Felix couldn’t handle the closeness and the eye contact any longer. He looked away and whispered, “You’re awake.” She nodded, chin moving against him, and moved to point to Sylvain curled up on the other side of the bed against her back. Sylvain shifted as she did and opened his eyes. 

“By…” He sat up quickly and stared as Byleth looked over to him. “I swear… it’s like you’re an entirely different person.” 

Byleth turned away and looked down at Felix’s chest. Her voice was weirdly vulnerable as she whispered. “Isn’t it weird?” 

Sylvain lightly pulled her hand until she turned back to face him. He shook his head and in a soft voice said, “It’s not weird at all. It’s…” He shook his head and whispered, “You’re somehow even more beautiful than before.” Felix scoffed and sat up as Sylvain sheepishly shook his head, but Byleth just stared down at her hands as she bit her lip. 

She climbed over his legs and stood in front of the bed. She stood like she did when she was preparing for a spar, shoulders back and weight evenly distributed with a wide stance. Her chin was held high, almost challenging, but there was a vulnerability in her eyes as she said, “I’m… guessing you guys have questions.”

Felix was blunt as always. “Duh.” He moved to sit against the wall, keeping an eye on her as she shuffled her weight between her feet.

Sylvain put a hand on his arm and shook his head. “Whatever you want to tell us is fine, By.”

Byleth took a deep breath in and out of her nose, before moving to sit on her knees in between them as they sat against the wall. She nodded and said, “I’ll just start from the beginning then… but I’ve never told anyone this, not even my father. It can’t leave this room.”

Felix scoffed and muttered, “Of course not. Who do you think we are?” Sylvain cut him a sharp look but Byleth just nodded. 

Her eyes stared blankly at the wall as she began speaking. “When I was young, I used to have a dream of a young girl with long green hair and an elaborate blue silk dress. She was always sleeping on a stone throne, surrounded by nothing but darkness. When I was young, I would try to wake her, but eventually I gave up and I would just wait to wake up.”

Her eyes became focused as she looked at both of them. “The first time she ever woke up was the day I met you two. All she did was move and mutter something about how she was still sleepy… but it was weird. It was also the first time I felt angry or...” her eyebrows furrowed “… my father called it protective.” She shrugged and glanced to the ceiling.

“She didn’t fully wake until the day I met Dima, Claude, and Edelgard. In my dream, she asked my name. When I told her, she introduced herself as Sothis.” 

Sylvain’s mouth opened and shut for a moment before he finally said, “Sothis… like the goddess, Sothis…” 

Byleth nodded and twirled a piece of hair on her finger. “Yes. At the time, I didn’t know that was the goddess’ name. The first time I heard it was the night of Remire.” Her piercing green eyes moved to Felix’s as she took a shaky breath. “That night was… terrible. For so many reasons.” Without even meaning to, he lightly placed his hand on his side where his scar was.

Sylvain groaned and held his head in his hands. “That’s why you asked me what the goddess’ name was. That’s part of the reason you were freaking out… and then I was a total asshole and—”

Byleth reached out and touched his leg. Her voice was firm as she interrupted him. “It’s in the past.” Sylvain looked up at her, but she just gave him a soft smile. She sighed and continued, “That was the night when we started to piece together who Sothis was. She couldn’t remember anything. When she tried to remember her past, all she had were my murky memories and the time I spent with you in Gautier.”

Felix furrowed his eyebrows and said, “You keep saying we…”

Byleth nodded and bit her lip. “Sothis was with me from the day I came here. She was a voice in my head, and she would sometimes appear before me to talk to me.”

Felix gawked at her for a moment as she looked down. “You talked… to the goddess… in your head.”

“You don’t believe me.” She moved to get off the bed but both he and Sylvain reached out and grabbed an arm.

“No. I do… it’s just weird to think about. That’s all.” He stroked the top of her hand with his thumb and she raised her face to look at them. The hope and relief there just about broke him. Between her anxiety about her lack of heartbeat and the voice of the goddess only she could hear, it was no wonder she was nervous to have this conversation. But he silently wondered what else she had been keeping from them, what else they didn't know about her.

Sylvain asked, “Is she here now? Is she listening to all of this?” 

Byleth’s lip trembled as a tear trailed down her cheek. “No… she’s gone.” Sylvain reached out his arms and Byleth crawled over to sit in his lap and hide her face in his shirt. 

Sylvain stroked her hair and whispered, “What happened, By?”

She whispered, “I was a fool. It was a trap, but I was too blinded by my anger to see what was right in front of me. We were trapped in that darkness… and it was terrifying.” Her body started to shake and Felix moved over, resting her legs on his lap and tracing a finger over the pattern on her tights. “Sothis said that it was separate from this world… that the only way back was for the two of us to become one.”

Felix’s finger stilled and he heard Sylvain take a sharp breath. They both looked at each other, then at Byleth, then back at each other. Sylvain’s eyes were wide as he whispered what they were both thinking. “What does that mean? Are you… the goddess now?”

Byleth pushed back and looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. “No! Of course not! Why would you even say that?” She sounded almost offended as she stared intently at Sylvain.

Sylvain shook his head slowly and whispered, “You just said that you and the goddess became one so…” He reached up a hand to awkwardly rub the back of his neck.

Byleth grabbed his hand and held it to her chest. Her voice shook with something almost like fear as she said, “Everyone is going to think of me differently now. I don’t want you guys to.” She glanced over at Felix who gave a slight nod and a shrug of his shoulders. What the hell are you supposed to say when your best friend becomes one with the goddess? _Hell if I know…_

He fell back on the same response he gave her after she picked up the Sword of the Creator. “You’re just Byleth. You’ll always be Byleth.” She smiled at him and reached out to squeeze his hand as Sylvain’s arm fell across her lap. 

She bit her lip and looked at each of them. “There’s one other thing I want to tell you… but you have to promise to listen before you decide whether to believe me or not.”

Felix furrowed his eyebrows and said, “We’re going to believe you. I don’t know if you know this, but we just watched you cut a hole in the fucking sky. It would take a lot for us to not believe you.” Sylvain nodded and gently rubbed Byleth’s back.

She looked at each of them before whispering, “Sothis gave me one of her powers when I came to the monastery. She called it the Divine Pulse.” She paused and stared at their confused faces before whispering, “I can turn back the hands of time.”

Felix’s brain stopped working. He probably looked like an idiot as he just sat and stared with his eyebrows furrowed and his lips pursed together in confusion. Sylvain cleared his throat and said, “You can… what?”

Her face fell as she looked down into her lap. Whatever reaction she was expecting, this was not it. “It’s only a little bit, a few seconds normally. The first time it happened, Sothis saved me. I jumped in front of an axe to save Edelgard and—” Suddenly, everything clicked in his brain. 

“Miklan.” The word escaped his lips, making Sylvain tense and Byleth’s head whip up to look at him. He continued, “Conand Tower. You somehow knew about the hidden passageways, and you were running to push Sylvain out of the way before the beast even turned to him.” Suddenly Felix felt hot all over as he scrambled off the bed and started pacing the room. Too much information was coming together, and all of it made him feel panicked and angry. So many things that he had noticed and never understood, now made sense. Byleth stood and held out a hand, but didn’t move any closer.

He rounded on her, voice frantic as he said, “You woke up and asked me if the boar, Ingrid, and Sylvain were alright. You looked so happy that I was there.” He froze as his heart stopped before he stepped forward to grab her shoulders. “You knew the tail was going to hit me! You took it for me, instead!" His voice cracked as he yelled, "You fool!” All the guilt and fear he had felt that day as he looked at her body, too scared to even check if she was alive. It all came roaring back as her sad eyes stared into his.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as he gripped her upper arms. Sylvain stood and tried to pry his hands off, but Felix held firm. “You watched us DIE! You took the hits instead, even though you knew it could have killed you!” Sylvain froze as his eyes widened, realization striking him as he turned to stare at Byleth.

Byleth buried her head in his chest and whispered, “I couldn’t let you die… I couldn’t do it…” 

All the anger left him and he stared at the top of her head as his eyes stared to burn. The realization was like ice water through his veins, making his body tremble. He buried his face in her hair and whispered, “You’ve had to watch us die.” Byleth let out a choked sob and fisted her hands into his shirt.

Sylvain put a hand on her shoulders and whispered, “But… Jeralt…”

She cried louder as Sylvain rubbed her back and hushed her softly. She was shaking so hard, Felix had to wrap his arms around her to keep her standing. “I turned it back twice, but the mage somehow knew I was going to save him. He blocked the Sword of the Creator both times, and then vanished with Monica. I couldn’t save him. I’ve saved all of you, but I couldn’t save him. What kind of person does that make me? What kind of daughter does that make me?” She was crying even harder than that day over his body. Her breaths became shorter and shorter, as she clenched her fists in his shirt so hard it started to rip beneath her nails.

A soft knock sounded on the door and Felix and Sylvain glanced at each other. Felix turned them so his back faced the door, mostly hiding the still crying Byleth from sight. Sylvain walked over and cracked open the door. The boar’s voice echoed through the room. “I heard her crying. Is she alright?” Byleth stiffened and tried to dry her face as she took deep breaths to try and calm down.

Sylvain’s voice was all fake nonchalance as he nodded. “Yup. Just a scary day.”

The boar asked, “Can I see her?” Sylvain’s arm moved to block any view of the room before he glanced back at them. 

Byleth started to move toward the door, but Felix tightened his hold around her and whispered, “It can wait.”

She shook her head and let out a wet sigh as she stepped out of his hold. She walked to the door and opened it further. The boar’s eyes widened as he whispered, “Professor… are you alright?”

She chuckled weakly and continued to wipe her face. “I’m sorry, Dima. It’s been such a strange day. The person that killed my father is dead… but I’m still…” She paused and sighed heavily. “I’m still sad. I thought I would feel better, but I don't. I miss him.” The boar stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her to pull her into his chest. Felix clenched his fists and glared, watching the boar carefully. 

While still holding her, the boar said, “Lady Rhea sent me to fetch you. I’ll tell her you are still indisposed, but she’ll want to meet with you tomorrow. Is that alright?”

She whispered back, “Thank you, Dima.” The boar smiled and stepped away before bowing to her and turning to leave. She turned and placed a hand on Dedue’s arm as he still stood guard at the door. “Are you alright, Dedue?”

He nodded and said, “I was guarding the door. I didn’t want anyone to disturb you as you rested.” He paused for a moment and looked her over. “Are you alright, Professor?” 

She nodded and said, “Go and get some rest. I’ll be alright.” Dedue bowed and walked out of sight. Byleth shut the door with a sigh and leaned back against it. 

Both he and Sylvain just stood and stared at her, neither of them seemed to know what to do with all of the information that was now swirling around in their minds. Sylvain was the first to move, cautiously walking over to stand in front of Byleth. She stepped into his hold and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t careful. I’m so sorry all of this happened. I didn’t mean to break my promise.”

Sylvain shook his head and answered, “You’re here. You came back. That’s all that matters to me.” Felix walked over and sat on the bed, placing his head in his hands. Nothing about this conversation did anything to alleviate the unease he felt. Thoughts of the potential dangers swirled in his head as he pondered what he was supposed to do next. 

He didn’t even register that Sylvain and Byleth had moved until Byleth stood in front of him. She lightly moved his arms away from his face and whispered, “What’s wrong?”

 _What isn’t wrong? Jeralt’s dead, the Archbishop wants Byleth to herself, Byleth is part goddess, I’m not strong enough to protect the people I care about… what isn’t wrong?_ She stepped between his legs and stroked some of the hair that had fallen out of his bun away from his face. He moved until his forehead rested against her and she pulled out his hair tie and ran her fingers through his hair.

He whispered, “I’m not strong enough.” It was a statement, there was no question in his mind that it was true. She had to watch him die, who knew how many times, because he wasn’t strong enough. He wasn’t fast enough, wasn’t good enough with his blade or his magic to keep himself and the people that he cared about alive. Even with all of the training he was doing, it wasn’t enough.

Byleth leaned down and asked, “Strong enough for what?”

“I’m not strong enough to keep you guys safe.” 

Sylvain moved to rest his arm around his shoulders. He whispered, “Fe… that’s not true. You work harder than almost anyone here.” He didn’t get it, he didn’t understand. Sylvain didn’t view training and strength the way he did. He would rather take a blow for someone he cared about, while Felix was determined to be the best so he could protect them while staying alive. He wouldn’t end up like Glenn… but who knew if maybe he would have without Byleth. He couldn’t know, and it was now haunting him.

Byleth pushed his shoulders back lightly and knelt down in front of him. She looked up at him with those big green eyes and said, “I told you all those years ago that if you train hard, you won’t need me there next time. Do you remember that?” He nodded and she took his hand. “You might not be strong enough now… but you will be. You just need time and experience. And I’ll be there to help until you are, okay?" He continued to stare, unsure of how to answer. She tilted her head and with a small smile said, "Besides… Sothis said she was going to watch out for you." She chuckled slightly and continued. "She said that she didn’t become one with me so you could continue to act like fools… though I’m not really sure what she meant by that.”

Sylvain let out a startled chuckle as Felix bent forward and rested his forehead on Byleth’s shoulder. _Great… even the goddess thinks I’m a complete fool._ Sylvain sounded incredulous as he asked, “She said that? Wait! What else did she say about us?” He paused and the bed bounced a little as Sylvain flopped onto his back. “Actually… maybe I don’t want to know the answer to that.”

Byleth stroked his hair and whispered, “She told me once that I still had people who loved me. She was glad I had you guys to look out for me. She said she was fond of you because you guys are so important to me.” When neither of them said anything she chuckled and said, “She called Felix the scowling or the brooding one. Sylvain was the philanderer until recently. She only used your names right before she disappeared.” Felix scoffed into her shoulder as Sylvain chuckled behind him. 

“Of course she did.” Sylvain sighed heavily.

They were all quiet for a moment as Byleth continued to run her hand through his hair. She leaned back and cupped his cheek as she tapped Sylvain’s thigh. Sylvain sat up and she looked at each of them before saying, “Thank you… for everything. You guys are the best friends I ever could have wished for…” She lowered her hand from his cheek and pressed it to her chest. “I’m going to do everything I can to keep you and the Lions safe.” She stared at Felix and grabbed his hand as she whispered, “We’re going to be okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They are not going to be okay. NOT OKAY!


	54. Chapter 54

~Byleth~

She woke up later than usual the next morning. Her body seemed to hum with her new power as she rolled out of bed. She glanced around and realized that Felix and Sylvain must have left after she fell asleep.

She stretched before grabbing her bath supplies and heading to the bath house. She was still filthy from the fight yesterday. She bathed, sat in the sauna, and then bathed again. Her muscles had lost the heaviness of yesterday, and she felt like she had boundless energy. 

She was unsettled by the quiet of her mind without having Sothis there. She was really going to miss her friend’s chatter. The emptiness was somewhat balanced out by the warmth she felt, because she had finally told Felix and Sylvain about everything. She had decided last night that she wasn’t going to tell anyone else. It was too dangerous to tell people she held the power she did, and Felix had been adamant that she didn’t share too much of what she could do with other people in the interest of her safety. He was really worried, the anxiety emanated off of him in waves no matter what she did or said. It was concerning, but Sylvain seemed to notice and was trying to help as well. 

She stared at her reflection after she dressed in the changing room. She hardly recognized herself as she ran a hand through her sea foam green hair. Her bright green eyes stared back as she shook her head. She looked so much like Rhea, it was unsettling, but it was also a piece of Sothis. That was what she reminded herself of every time she caught a glimpse of her new appearance. _Sothis and I are one now. She’s a part of me._

She wandered to the dining hall to get some breakfast and the room became silent as the door shut behind her. All eyes were on her as she froze. _Right… blessed by the goddess. Probably going to get some weird reactions._ The eyes followed her as she grabbed a tray of food. Raphael’s booming voice shouted, “Over here, Professor! Sit with us!” His shout seemed to break whatever spell had been cast on the rest of the students and knights, because everyone turned away and went back to their conversations.

She smiled softly and walked over to the table where Leonie, Raphael, Ignatz, and Hilda were sitting. Raphael beamed at her as she sat down and began rapidly eating her food. She was STARVING all of the sudden. Raphael chuckled and said, “I bet you are hungry after yesterday. That was so crazy watching you fight all those enemies.” He pounded a hand into the table and grinned. “And you look so different! Did anything else change besides your hair and eyes? Are your arms bigger? How do your abs look?” 

She let out a breathy chuckle and covered her mouth, that was still full of food, as Ignatz blushed and spluttered out, “Raphael! You can’t just say things like that!” 

She swallowed the food in her mouth and said, “Actually, I feel a lot stronger now.”

Raphael’s eyes were big as he pumped his fist. “No way! I want to see what you can do!” 

She thought it over and said, “We should go and train this afternoon? I want to see what all of this energy can do.”

“Yeah!” Raphael nodded his head and stood. “I’m gonna go and tell Caspar. I bet he’ll train with us!”

Hilda rolled her eyes and stood to walk behind Byleth. Small fingers combed through her hair as Hilda gasped. “Apparently the power of the goddess makes your hair silky smooth! What the heck, Professor!” Hilda playfully smacked her shoulder before saying, “Hold still.” Her fingers worked through Byleth’s hair, braiding it before something pricked into her scalp. Byleth raised a hand and felt the braided bun Hilda had done in her hair. “I like the new colors, Professor. You look beautiful as always.” Hilda hugged her shoulders from behind and called, “Bye, gorgeous!” As she walked away.

Byleth smiled after her as a weight seemed to lift from her shoulders. The people she cared about didn’t seem too worried about the changes, and that was all that mattered. Leonie was looking her over with a critical eye as she turned back to her food. She said, “You look different, but don’t lose sight of who you really are, okay?” 

Byleth nodded. “Of course not. I’m still me.”

Leonie nodded and picked up some more food with her fork. After taking a bite she said, “However you may change, and whatever new power goes along with those changes—you’ll still be the same person, deep down. Remember that.” She smiled and squeezed her hand. “I bet Jeralt is really proud of you right now.”

Byleth’s eyebrows furrowed as she stared down at her tray. _What WOULD Jeralt think about everything that has happened?_ Leonie squeezed her hand. “We got Monica. He would be proud. Don’t overthink it.” 

“Hey, Professor?” She turned around and saw Cyril standing behind her. “Lady Rhea sent me to fetch you. Can you come with me?” She looked down at her empty plate and sighed. She would have liked to eat more, but she knew she couldn’t put Rhea off any longer. She nodded and stood to follow Cyril.

As they walked he said, “When I first saw you, Professor, with that hair color and that eye color? I thought you looked kind of like Lady Rhea. Like maybe you could be related.” He smiled up at her and she nodded back, even as unease ate at the pit of her stomach. He nodded and looked forward. “I like the way it looks! I wonder if I could change my hair color too… Maybe if I tried hard enough. If I thought real hard about it, I mean.”

“That would be exciting, wouldn’t it?” She smiled softly as he enthusiastically nodded his head.

“All I need to do is get trapped up in some strange place and then escape, right? Just like you did?”

They reached the doors to the Audience Chamber and she reached over to ruffle his dark curls. “Please don’t get trapped somewhere. We have to keep you safe so you can continue to help Lady Rhea, right?”

He tilted his head and put a hand to his chin. “I guess you’re right. See ya, Professor!” He walked away, and after a deep breath Byleth walked through the heavy double doors.

Lady Rhea smiled at her as she walked in. Seteth was even more stern than usual, his eyebrows furrowed as he stared at Byleth as she stood before them. When they made eye contact, he quickly looked away. Lady Rhea’s voice was soft as she said, “I have been waiting for your arrival, Professor. How are you feeling?”

She bowed slightly and nodded. “I’m sorry I couldn’t come yesterday evening. I’m feeling much better after having rested.”

Rhea smiled and clasped her hands in front of her chest like she was praying. “Now that you have received sacred power from the goddess, there is somewhere you must pay a visit to at once. You must go to the Holy Tomb so you may receive a divine revelation from the goddess.”

She felt hope in her chest at the prospect of hearing Sothis’ voice again, but she pushed it down. Sothis had told her that they wouldn’t be able to converse anymore, she shouldn’t be too hopeful. “What is the Holy Tomb?”

Seteth nodded and spoke up. “The Holy Tomb is where the goddess sleeps. This monastery was originally built for the purpose of protecting that hallowed temple.”

Rhea smiled with a light nod. “Only a select few know about the Holy Tomb. Saint Seiros, the first soul to be gifted power from the goddess, received her revelation there. She was told that it was her sacred duty to save the people of Fodlan, and that she must use her power wisely in order to lead them. The words that were handed down to Seiros from the goddess will likely fall upon your ears as well.”

Her stomach flipped as she bit her lip. “I mean no disrespect, but I am a mercenary, not a leader. I will fight to keep everyone safe, but I’m not—”

Rhea raised her hand to stop her. “The goddess Sothis chose you, dear one.”

Seteth crossed his arms and stared at her. Concern seemed to flash over his features, but they rapidly changed back to stern, making her think she might have imagined it. “Prepare yourself for the ritual at the end of the month. There, may you find out why you were blessed with such power.” She tried to keep her face neutral as she nodded.

Lady Rhea smiled at her. “There will be a ceremony at the Holy Tomb. It is then that you will receive the goddess’ revelation. You may share this mission with your students.”

“Do you think it wise to bring them into this?”

Rhea nodded. “You have made it very clear that your students mean the world to you. It is said that when Seiros received the revelation, she had holy warriors by her side, protecting her. Your students, who have followed you and fought alongside you through the darkest times, are well suited to stand by you for the ceremony. Of course, as the leader of the Church of Seiros, I will be by your side as well.”

“Isn’t there a chance it could be too dangerous?”

Rhea’s smile grew even wider. “The occasion is too significant to be missed. Do not worry for me. Even if something were to happen, I am more than capable of protecting myself.”

Seteth dropped his arms to his sides and bowed his head. “Much has changed, but your duty has not wavered. Steel your mind for the ceremony, and prepare your students well. You may go.” He cut a sharp look to Rhea before walking into the offices on the other side of the chamber. 

_He’s… angry with Rhea? I’ve never seen him look at her that way…_

On instinct she waited for commentary from Sothis, and her chest tightened when nothing came. She sighed and pushed open the Audience Chamber doors. Flayn pounced on her as soon as the doors opened, crashing into her with a hug. Flayn giggled and stepped back as Byleth smiled softly down at her. “Professor, I’m just so happy! Your new hair and eye color suit you well. We make quite the pair!”

She picked up her curls and held them close to Byleth’s much lighter hair. She glanced behind Byleth and then tugged on Byleth’s hand, leading her into Seteth’s office. Once inside she whispered, “Recently I sense that things are a bit strained between Lady Rhea and my brother. She wants to do something at the Holy Tomb. I do not know what, but…” she sighed and said, “I hope that whenever it is concluded, they will return to their friendship, as it has always been…”

Byleth said, “I actually need to talk to you and the rest of the Lions about what is happening at the end of the month. Do you think you could gather everyone in the classroom for me?” Flayn nodded and ran off to find her classmates. 

She walked out to follow, but heard someone crying in her father’s office. She slowly opened the door and heard Alois whisper, “Captain…” He startled as she shut the door behind her. “Oh, Byleth! How long have you been standing there? I didn’t see you.”

She tilted her head to her fist. “Not long. What are you doing in here?”

He shook his head and put a hand to his forehead. “I was just sorting through Captain Jeralt’s belongings. I… haven’t made much progress. I keep finding things that bring back memories.” He sighed and lowered his head. “Clearing out this room of his belongings again, it’s… It’s not easy.”

“You were close to my father, weren’t you?” She leaned against the back of the couch and crossed her arms. Jeralt had a soft spot for Alois, even if he often grew annoyed with his loud personality.

Alois nodded. “He practically raised me. Did I not mention that? How embarrassing…” He shook his head. “My parents died when I was small and I was brought here, to live in the monastery. It was an aimless existence, but sometimes a knight would pass by wearing magnificent armor. That knight was Jeralt. And the first time he laid eyes on me, he made me his squire! What was he thinking?” Alois smile was fond as he seemed to look through her, into the past.

She brought a hand to her chest and looked at the ground. “That sounds like Jeralt. He always did like picking up strays. Most of our crew have stories similar to yours.”

He perked up, walking over to stand closer to her. “Really? Well, later I heard the squire proceeding me had died of a terrible plague. I looked a bit like him, and was about the same age, so Jeralt thought me a suitable replacement.” He tilted his head back with a booming laugh. “He was a little nutty, old Jeralt. There’s no doubt about that. He was quite the character. All of that was over thirty years ago. It’s amazing how time flies.”

She furrowed her eyebrows and asked, “Thirty years? Do you know how old he was?”

Alois shook his head. “It was odd. When he first arrived, it seemed as if he hadn’t aged at all. He got really drunk one night, and he let the secret slip. He said he’d had an infusion of Crest-bearing blood, and it greatly extended his life! Can you believe it?” He threw his head back with another big laugh as she stared over at her father’s old desk. _Crest-bearing blood, but most likely not the Crest of Flames. Why wouldn't I have whatever Crest he had? How old was he, really?_

  
He continued, “I figured he was joking, but then I asked him about his age. He said he’s stopped counting after he hit one hundred. I believe he was telling the truth. In those twenty years he was away, he didn’t age a bit. An incredible person, to be sure. And I probably don’t know the half of it.”

Her voice wavered a little as she whispered, “You obviously know more than I do. He never told me anything.”

Alois stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder. “Your father was an odd fellow, but I never saw him smile more than when he talked about you. He was always so proud of you, always talking about how strong and brave you are. You’ll get through this.” He patted her shoulder and said, “And you have big brother Alois to keep you company! So don’t you fret! In the name of Jeralt, I swear to keep you safe! And if there is anything I can do to help you, I hope you know you can count on me.” 

The corner of her mouth twitched up ever so slightly as she nodded. “Thank you, Alois. I actually have to go. I have to go and talk to my students.” She paused on her way out the door and said, “Maybe we can go fishing some time? We could trade stories about Jeralt, and maybe have a few drinks?” 

Alois smiled as tears filled his eyes. “I would like that very much.”

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she glanced out to the courtyard in front of the classroom. Her students were all heading into the classroom, chatting and laughing as they walked. Ingrid was chatting with Annette, Mercedes was talking to Dedue who had a soft smile on his face. Flayn pulled Linhardt’s arm as he stumbled along behind her. 

She stood in the alcove for a while and watched until the courtyard was empty. She suddenly felt nervous. _What will they think of all this? Does Rhea really expect me to hear Sothis again? If not, what is she expecting? Why are Seteth and Rhea fighting? What do Seteth and Flayn know about what Rhea did to me as a child?_

 _How old was my father? Was he really over a century old? Was that even possible? Will I be the same? I technically share half his blood…_ She shook that thought away. She had aged normally up to this point. She shouldn’t have to worry about that. 

She was still frozen in the alcove, staring off into space, when a familiar voice said, “Ya know, I always knew there was something special about you.” She turned and spotted Claude leaning against the wall. Her chest became tighter and she suddenly felt really sad. “You’ve gotten more and more extraordinary the longer I’ve known you. That transformation was just the beginning, wasn’t it? I have a feeling things will only grow more dire from here on out.” She frowned as she turned to stare back out at the courtyard.

“Rhea says I will receive a revelation from the goddess. She thinks I’m the next Seiros, destined to protect Fodlan.” She snorted and shook her head softly. It sounded even more ridiculous when she said it aloud. “Can you believe that?”

“Yes.” Claude’s voice was serious as he walked around to stand in front of her.

She whispered, “Claude… I’m just a mercenary.” 

Claude shook his head, his beautiful green eyes held hers as his fingers reached up to touch a strand of her hair. “You’re extraordinary…” 

She shook her head and looked down at the ground between them. _Why am I feeling so... weird?_ “I don’t feel like I am.”

He looked her over for a moment and smirked. “That may be one of my favorite things about you. You don’t hold your power over people’s heads. It just exists, and you use it to help others. And you help everyone and anyone, you don’t discriminate. If a benevolent goddess were to choose someone, I think it would be someone like you.” He shrugged and reached out to touch her hand, but she moved away from him.

“I should go. I have to tell my students about our mission for the month.” She sighed and stretched her arms above her head. “Then I really need to train… it feels like there is too much energy in my body. I feel so weird.” 

He quirked an eyebrow and smirked. “That’s… interesting information. Will you have tea with me later? I still want to hear what happened before you cut that hole in the sky.”

She realized now, what the tightness in her chest was. It was hurt. Frustration rushed through her. Claude was acting like everything was normal, when it wasn't. He still hadn't returned her father's journal, nor had he told her anything about it's contents. He was acting like everything was fine, and it wasn't. She wasn't.

She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. “Did you finish with my father’s journal?”

His smirk dropped as he tilted his head to the side. His braid brushed his shoulder at the motion. “Not yet. There’s a lot of entries in there. Probably almost thirty years of information, in fact…” He stepped closer and tried to touch her arm, but she pulled it out of the way. His mouth pulled down into a slight frown as he looked her over.

“You’re upset.” He pursed his lips and searched her face. 

The feelings were too confusing, the hurt and frustration were mixing together and she didn't understand any of it. She wanted to be angry, but she also felt a little sad. He was her friend, shouldn't he tell her things? Shouldn't he share her own father's thoughts with her? Why would he take them from her, and then say nothing? Claude's eyes were curious as he looked her over and she really didn't want to be around him right now. “I need to go. My students are waiting for me.” She stepped around him to walk to the classroom, but he grabbed her elbow to pull her back.

“Teach... talk to me. You’ve been avoiding me for weeks now.” His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to pull her closer, but she pulled away again.

“I have to go. I don’t want to talk about this right now.” He called out to her again, but she didn’t turn back.

When she walked into the classroom, Annette screamed, “Bah! Professor!” She jumped back a little and then looked off to the side sheepishly. “Sorry, this will take some getting used to. Your hair and eye color are completely different! You just don’t look like yourself anymore.”

Her eyebrows furrowed and a frown pulled at her lips. _So, not everyone is unbothered._ “It’s just my appearance that has changed, Annette. It’s still me.”

Annette's eyes widened as she quickly pulled Byleth into a hug. “Of course. You’re right… I’m just being silly, as usual. Kooky little Annette, right?” She giggled nervously and stepped away. “Sorry.” 

The rest of her students were staring at her as she glanced around at each of them. She bit her lip and walked over to sit cross-legged on top of her desk. Everyone shuffled to their seats and sat down. “I called you all here to tell you about our task for this month, but it occurs to me that you may have questions about everything that happened… so if you would like to—”

A bunch of hands shot to the air. She tilted her head and blinked in surprise before pointing to Ashe. His voice wavered slightly as he asked, “Did you really see the goddess? Did she really give you power?”

She sighed heavily and glanced down at the ground. She had thought that she didn't want to tell anyone what really happened, but was it fair to her students? They at least deserved to know about Sothis, especially if they were going to this ceremony or whatever in the Holy Tomb. “Caspar, will you shut the doors for me?” He jumped up and did so as she glanced around at her students. “What I tell you, doesn’t leave this room. I trust you all, and you deserve to know the truth.” Felix stiffened, but she shook her head lightly to him and he settled slightly.

“As you all know, I bear the Crest of Flames. I’m not sure why or how. All of that is still a mystery to me. When I was young, I used to dream of a sleeping girl on a throne. When I came here, the girl woke up and told me her name was Sothis.” Gasps rang out throughout the room as she glanced around at all of them. 

“Sothis would speak with me, give me advice, watch over all of you in battle…” she paused and cleared her throat “She even helped me when my father died. But… she didn’t know she was the goddess. The only memories she had, were mine. I’m not sure why, or how, or…” She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t really know much. She was just my friend.”

“In the Sealed Forest, powerful dark magic transported us to a dark void that wasn’t part of this world. The only way that I could escape that darkness and come back to you, was by fusing with Sothis. The two of us had to become one. That is why my hair and eye color changed.”

She looked to Ashe, who’s eyes were wide and his mouth gaping as he stared at her. “So, to answer your question. Yes, I did see the goddess. And yes, she did give me power.”

Mercedes voice was soft as she asked, “Does that mean you are the goddess’ vessel?”

Byleth tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

Mercedes stared at her as she asked, “Are you the goddess, come to bless Fodlan with her presence?”

Byleth shook her head quickly. “No, no, no. I’m still just your Professor. I’m not the goddess, and I would prefer to not think of myself as a vessel.” Mercedes furrowed her brows slightly and shook her head. Byleth sighed and added, “Lady Rhea seems to think it’s more like a legend about Saint Seiros.”

Ingrid raised her hand. “You mean where she received a revelation and power from the goddess?” Byleth nodded and Ingrid put a hand over her heart. “Truly you must be a very special individual. Maybe Seiros transformed before receiving her revelation, too!”

Mercedes shook her head and murmured, “I haven’t heard anything about that before… Maybe that part never found it’s way into the legend?”

Ingrid nodded. “Maybe. It is told that Seiros had a revelation instructing her to use her power for good, and to lead the people of Fodlan to salvation.” Ingrid furrowed her eyebrows slightly.

Byleth nodded. “Well, that’s what I came here to tell you all. We don’t have a combat mission assigned this month. At the end of the month, we will all be going to the Holy Tomb. The Archbishop said that is where Seiros received her revelation. She has invited all of you to come as well. She told me that Seiros had her holy knights there to guard her. That will be your job.”

Ashe and Ingrid both quietly squealed making Sylvain smirk as he looked fondly over at them. Ashe raised a hand. “You mean to say we will be like the original Knights of Seiros? Just like in the legends?” She couldn’t help but grin as she nodded. Ashe’s cheeks turned red as he shook his head. “I can’t believe it. It’s like something out of a storybook. We’ll be a part of the history of Fodlan! People will read about this a hundred years from now… and we are a part of it!”

Ingrid nodded with a big smile on her face. “I wonder what type of revelation you will have, Professor.”

Linhardt raised his hand. “Do you think we’ll see the goddess? That would certainly be interesting.”

Byleth pursed her lips and looked down at her lap. “Sothis told me we wouldn’t be able to speak anymore after my transformation. And she was right, she’s gone. I no longer hear her. I don’t know if she’ll be able to appear or not.”

Flayn’s eyes glistened as she sighed. “You lost your father and now you no longer hear your friend. I’m so sorry, Professor. That sounds awful.” All of her students looked at her with sympathy as she shook her head.

“I’ll be alright. Don’t worry about me. Use your time training this month to finish up your final certifications. Your graduation ceremony will be at the end of next month. This will be a good send off for all of you.” She kicked out her legs and stood in front of her desk. “If anyone has anything else they want to ask, or anything they need to talk about, my door is always open. If you’ll excuse me, for now I’d like to go and do some training.”

She stood and walked out the door, skirting past any students that might have tried to stop her. Nerves and everything that had happened over the last few days felt like a tingle under her skin. She wanted to move, she wanted to fight. After throwing on some training clothes, she headed to the training grounds. It was similar to the dining hall, when she walked in everything became hushed. People stared and whispered as she walked over to the rack to pick up a training sword.

“Spar with me.” Felix’s voice sounded out behind her, as a smirk curled her lip. 

She turned and looked him over. “Always.” 

They moved to the center of the ring, and began to circle one another. She spotted Dimitri, Dedue, Ingrid, and Sylvain in the crowd, as well as some of the students from the other classes. She circled her shoulders and sprinted forward. 

She was holding back on her swings as Felix fended her off. She gave him openings to advance, and called out instruction like she would on a normal day. After several minutes, she disarmed and pinned him. She hadn’t even broken a sweat yet, much to his chagrin. 

Felix had come really far over the last several months, and she was really proud of his swordsmanship. However, right now it wasn't enough. She wanted a challenge. She wanted to feel her pulse race as she fought. “Sylvain, Ingrid, why don’t you jump in?” They looked at each other as Felix scowled. She reached out a hand to help him up as Sylvain and Ingrid grabbed training lances. They all circled her as a smile split her face. Felix was the first to strike. He charged in and swiped at her side. She dodged out of the way and heard movement behind her. She parried a strike from Ingrid’s lance, and struck out at Felix’s arm. He hissed in pain as she charged Sylvain, keeping her swings a bit wider to create space between her and her opponents.

Sylvain was stronger than Felix and Ingrid. The jolt of his lance against her sword filled her chest with warmth. It made her feel excited, making her breathing quicker as she felt herself smile wider. She parried a few more of his blows before jabbing his side, crouching down and kicking out his legs. 

He fell with a yelp, but she was already turning to stare down Felix and Ingrid. They had begun working together, both of them were fast, but not as fast as she was. She allowed them to back her up against a pillar, before she dove underneath one of Felix’s swings. She rolled to her feet and struck the shoulder of his sword arm hard enough for him to lose grip of his sword. He cursed loudly and backed out of the ring. 

Ingrid’s face was determined as she advanced. Sylvain was on his feet again, and she watched in her peripherals as he tried to get behind her. Ingrid came in to jab at her, and she parried it just enough that the training lance jabbed into Sylvain’s torso. She brought her sword down on Ingrid’s lance and it snapped as she dropped and swept Ingrid’s legs. She stood and pointed her sword at Sylvain, but he raised a hand as he clutched his stomach. “I yield.” He dropped his lance and she smiled down at him as applause filled the air.

She crouched next to Sylvain as he sat on the floor, her hand glowing with faith magic as she lifted his shirt and pressed it to his skin. He sighed in relief as the bruise that was already forming disappeared. She checked on Ingrid, but she nodded that she was alright. She walked to Felix at the edge of the ring and knelt down in front of him.

He scowled as he held his shoulder where she had landed the hit. He grumbled, “You looked like you were having fun.” 

She chuckled and moved behind him to replace his hand with hers. She massaged the muscle as her hand glowed with faith magic, and Felix’s muscles began to relax as he shifted back against her slightly. She whispered, “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head and glanced back at her over his shoulder. “Don’t apologize. I miss seeing that look on your face. It’s been too long.” He reached up a hand to rub his shoulder. “You’re stronger, and faster. It’s going to take me that much longer to finally beat you.”

She stood and walked around to offer him a hand. “Time and experience, remember? Though you shouldn’t count me out. I’m working to get stronger as well.” She smiled and the corner of his mouth twitched up. 

“That’s what I was hoping you were going to say.” He bumped her shoulder with his and she bumped his right back.

“Professor.” Dedue’s voice sounded out behind her and she turned to greet him. He stepped closer and leaned down slightly to whisper in her ear. “His Highness has not been resting. He is pale and his appetite is gone. I am worried.” She nodded and rolled her shoulders. 

She turned to look at the young prince, who was standing in the corner watching them talk. Dedue was right. He was pale, and he looked thinner. She had been trying to speak with him and help with his headaches, but he always brushed her off saying he was fine. She worried about her young lion. She called, “Dima! Why don’t you come and spar with Dedue and I? I want to test myself against that Blaiddyd strength. Do you think you could get your Crest to flare up against me?” 

The prince walked forward hesitantly as Felix stepped up behind her and whispered, “What the hell are you doing? He could actually hurt you.”

She shook her head and walked toward Dimitri. “I know you hold back in training. I want to see how I fair. Do you think you could do it?”

Dimitri’s eyebrows furrowed as he shook his head. “I am always working to hold back my Crest. I don’t think it is wise, Professor. I can’t control my strength when it flares up.”

She smirked and patted his chest. “You’ll have to hit me to find out. Come on!” She backed away and dropped into a defensive stance as Ingrid handed Dimitri a training lance. Dedue walked over and grabbed an axe before stepping into the ring beside Dimitri.

They both charged her as she parried their blows. She kept her motions fluid, watching Dimitri carefully. His swings were more erratic than usual, and there was something wild in his eyes as their spar continued. She could have easily taken him down, but she wanted to see if she could wear him out so he would get some rest. After several minutes, his swings were becoming harder to parry as more of his strength bled through. She used more evasive tactics and he became more and more frustrated. 

Finally, she saw it. He circled his lance overhead as she disarmed Dedue, and she saw the twitch in his shoulders that always happened when his Crest flared in battle. He swung the lance down in an arc as she rolled out of the way. The lance he was holding shattered against the ground, and he growled, tossing it to the side. He then stooped down and picked up the axe that she had knocked from Dedue’s hand.

“Your Highness…” Dedue held out a hand and called quietly to Dimitri, but Byleth shook her head and he backed off as Dimitri stalked toward her.

Dimitri cracked his neck before charging toward her with a yell. She bent backwards to avoid his swing and landed a front kick to his stomach. It didn’t phase him in the slightest. He grabbed her ankle with his free hand in a bruising grip. He threw her to the side, and she fell hard against the stone floor. She looked up and then quickly rolled out of the way as he brought the training axe down where her head had just been. 

_Shit._ “Dima.” She rolled to her feet as Dimitri continued to pursue her. Whispers picked up around them as he charged her again. She landed a hit on his wrist, hoping the pain would disarm him. He dropped the axe with a growl and tackled her to the ground.

Sylvain screamed her name as Dedue screamed, “Your Highness!” Dimitri had her hands pinned above her head and his knee was placed on her hip. She tried to kick out his legs, but he barely noticed. The grip on her wrists was beginning to hurt as she said, “Dima?” He still didn’t let up so she struck his nose with her forehead with a sickening crunch.

He shook his head and his eyes sharpened on her face. “Professor!” The grip on her wrists immediately loosened. Felix shoved him off of her with a growl.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Felix stood in front of her, facing Dimitri. She reached out and pulled on his hand, but he brushed her aside.

“I have to heal his nose, Felix.” 

Felix turned his head slightly and said, “No. You aren’t going near him.”

She whispered, “Stop, Felix. You’re making a scene.” She shoved Felix out of the way as she walked toward Dimitri. Dimitri stumbled to his feet and backed away. 

“I’m alright, Professor.” He held his bleeding nose as he stammered. “I’m just going to go back to my quarters to get cleaned up.” He glanced around the room as people stared at them. 

Guilt showered over her as she whispered, “I’ll go with you.”

Felix growled, “Byleth…”

She turned her head to glare at him and he glared right back. “Keep training.” Felix didn’t move, he continued to glare at her with his fists clenched. Sylvain stepped up beside him and put a hand on his shoulder, but he shook it off. Dimitri walked quickly toward the training room doors and she dropped her sword to walk out after him with Dedue on her heels.

She called his name as she tried to catch up to catch him, but he had a much longer stride than she did. She didn’t want to cause any more of a scene, so she walked after him instead of running. Dedue whispered, “His headaches are getting worse. He doesn’t sleep, he doesn’t eat. He trains most of the night. I’m not sure what to do.”

She sighed as they trailed after the prince. “I shouldn’t have egged him on. I was hoping to put up enough of a fight to wear him out… I didn’t expect him to snap like that.” She bit her lip. “He shouldn’t be fighting at all. I’m glad this month’s mission is non-combative. Hopefully we can get him through to graduation and then get him some help.”

Dedue hummed softly and nodded. “Please tell him to rest. He might listen if it comes from you.”

When they reached the stairs to the second-floor dorms, she started running as soon as she knew they were empty. She caught up right as Dimitri was starting to shut the door. “Dimitri, let me heal your nose.” His blue eyes flashed to hers briefly, before dropping to the floor.

“I’m fine, Professor.” 

She whispered, “I’m not mad. You didn’t hurt me. Please, let me fix your nose?”

Dimitri sighed and opened the door. She glanced back at Dedue. “I’ll take care of his nose. Why don’t you go and get some food, Dedue?” Dedue looked between them before nodding and walking away.

Dimitri sat on his bed and tilted his head back as he held his bleeding nose. He wouldn’t meet her gaze, always looking up at the ceiling or off to the side. She stepped forward and tapped his knees until he spread them wide enough that she could stand between them. He moved his hand as she reached forward and felt along the bridge of his nose. She could feel that it wasn’t broken, and she let out a sigh of relief as she poured healing magic into her fingers.

As she was busy healing him she whispered, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have coaxed you into fighting like that.”

He let out a sad chuckle and started to shake his head, but she moved her free hand to hold his face in place. “How could you say that? How could you apologize when I just—”

She cut him off. “You didn’t hurt me.”

He growled, “I could have.” He sighed heavily and closed his eyes. “Please, believe me when I say I never want to hurt you, Professor.” 

She stroked his cheek with her free hand and whispered, “I know you don’t, Dima.”

His voice wavered as he whispered, “It’s getting harder to sleep. My headaches are constant and the dead…” He trailed off and as she finished healing his nose she cupped the other side of his face.

“What about the dead?”

He opened his eyes and they were dark as they stared up into hers. “You know what it is like to hear voices that others cannot… but your voice was the goddess herself. Mine are the people I love that have long since died. They beg to be avenged. They keep me awake in the night, they make it impossible to listen in lectures. They are disappointed in me. They yell at me for my failures as a son, prince, and friend.” His lip trembled and her unbeating heart sank to her stomach.

She moved her hands to the sides of his head and summoned her faith magic as she hummed Sothis’ song. Dimitri’s hands moved to lightly circle her legs as his head fell against her. “When you do this, they become quiet. Your light pushes them away, Professor.”

Dimitri raised his head and looked up at her with glistening eyes. “I don’t deserve to go to the Holy Tomb with you. I don’t even deserve to be in your presence. I don’t want to fail you, Professor.”

“And I don’t want to fail you, my lion cub. You should not be fighting. It's not good for you. You need time to rest and heal.”

His face contorted again and Dimitri reached up and grabbed her wrists, pulling her hands from his head. His eyes darkened again and his voice was dripping with venom as he hissed, “I cannot stop fighting. The dead need to be avenged, only then can they have peace.”

She tried to pull her wrists from his grasp, but couldn’t do so without hurting him. “Dima… listen to me. We’ve already killed Kronya and Solon. We’ve already—”

“All of them must pay!” He stood and towered over her. “I don’t care who they are. The Flame Emperor, the Death Knight, and this Thales who will supposedly finish the work of that fiend, Solon.” The grip on her wrists tightened as he backed her up against his desk. “They must all pay. When they are burning in the Eternal Flames, only then can the dead find peace. Only then, can I find peace! Do you understand, Professor? I cannot rest. I cannot heal. There is no redemption for me until the evildoers are dead!”

“Dima. I know, and I’ll help you… But you need to let me go.” He stared down at her, his eyebrows furrowed and his nostrils flared. 

She raised her voice, using all of the authority she could muster. “Dima. Let go of me. Now!” He shook his head and pulled his hands away from her as he took two steps back. His eyes cleared as he stared at her. “You will not be fighting under my command anytime soon, especially if you are not eating or sleeping. Is that understood?” His gaze dropped to the floor. “I will be coming here every night to help your headaches. I will also be having Dedue report to me if you are not eating. You have to let me help you.” He still wouldn’t meet her gaze. She stepped forward and cupped his cheek, moving with him as he tried to flinch away. “I worry about you, my lion cub. Your friends do, too. Let me help.”

“You shouldn’t be around me, Professor.” He turned away from her and covered his face with his hands. “I don’t deserve your help. You are blessed by the goddess and I… I am just a beast… just as Felix says.”

“You are not a beast, and do not say you do not deserve my help. I decide who I wish to care for, and I care for you. You are my friend, Dima. I’ll stay with you and help you through this.”

He turned slowly toward her and his voice shook as he asked, “You would stay with me? You would still help me, after everything you have seen? After everything I have done?”

“Of course, Dima. You are my friend.” She stepped forward and slowly reached her arms up to wrap them around the back of his neck in a hug. He circled her waist with a little more force than necessary and held her close. He buried his face in her hair as his grip tightened. She rubbed his back lightly as she whispered, “It will be alright. We’ll find them, Dima. But you have to take care of yourself until then.”

He whispered into her hair, “I-I’ll try, Professor. I swear I’ll try.”

~Sylvain~

_Well shit._ The Dimitri thing was really starting to get out of hand. He wasn’t sparring with Byleth, he was fighting her. There was no hesitation in his swings, no strategy to where or how hard he swung at her. He was fighting like it was a battle. He looked scared and apologetic as he fled the training grounds, with Byleth walking out after him with Dedue.

“She needs to cage the wild boar already. He’s going to get himself killed fighting like that… or he’s going to kill her while she’s foolish enough to think she can help him.” Felix clenched his fists as his amber eyes threatened to burn a hole in the training ground doors. 

“She cares about him, Fe, and he cares about her. I don’t think he would intentionally hurt her.”

Felix whipped around to face him and poked a finger into his chest. “When are you going to get it through your head that the boar isn’t Dimitri!”

“Fe… calm down. He snapped out of it. Byleth is fine.” 

Felix spun on his heel and stomped towards the training hall doors. Sylvain sighed and ran a hand through his hair, before putting away all of their weapons and walking out after him. He ran to catch up, grabbing Felix’s arm as he reached his side. “Fe, I know you are worried about her. I get it.”

“You don’t.” Felix stopped walking and turned to face him. “You saw bits and pieces of what he did in Remire, but you haven’t seen the things I’ve seen. He’s a monster, Sylvain. One of these days, he’s going to snap. Byleth is too close to him, she cares too much. He’s going to take her down with him.” Felix’s hands were shaking until he balled them into fists at his side. “No one believes me. You guys never LISTEN.” 

He turned to stomp off again, but Sylvain grabbed his arm and pulled him back. He put his hands on Felix’s shoulders and said, “I’m listening right now, and if it’s affecting you this much… I believe you.”

Felix’s eyes widened as he stared up at Sylvain’s face. After a moment they narrowed and Felix growled, “You are just telling me what you think I want to hear… you don’t actually believe me.” He tried to shake off Sylvain’s hold, but Sylvain stood firm.

“No. I worry about it, too. I believe you.” Felix’s features softened, and Sylvain dropped his arms to let him turn away if he wanted to. “I’m on your side, Fe. I’ll always be on your side. Until the day we die, remember?”

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “Don’t use some stupid line on me.” He walked toward the dorms and Sylvain walked beside him.

“It’s not a line. I made you a promise and I’m going to keep it.”

Felix rolled his eyes but Sylvain caught the small upturn of his lips before he said, “You better.” Sylvain bit back a grin as they walked up the steps. That was about as good as it gets with Felix. 

When they reached the end of the hall, they stood near Sylvain’s door as Felix began to pace. Sylvain pointed toward his door as an invitation to wait inside, but Felix shook his head and went back to watching Dimitri’s door. They heard Byleth raise her voice but she didn’t sound nervous as she said, “Dima. Let go of me. Now!”

Felix jumped for the door, but Sylvain held him back. Felix tried to fight him off, but Sylvain was stronger. “Fe, it might make things worse if you barge in there.” The voices on the other side of the door went back to a quiet murmur and Felix shoved him off before going to stand against the opposite wall. Felix wouldn’t look at him, so he sighed and sat in front of his door to wait them out.

After a few more minutes, the door opened and Sylvain scrambled to his feet. Byleth stopped and stared at Felix before shutting the door behind her. “Yes, Felix?” 

Felix narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. “I told you he could hurt you.”

She sighed and ran a hand through her messy hair, undoing the last of the braided bun that was there. “He doesn’t want to hurt me, Felix. He’s my friend, just like you. Dima needs care and support, and I plan to give it to him.” She started walking toward the exit and Felix gritted his teeth before he walked after her.

“Why won’t you listen to me?!” Felix’s tone was almost pleading, and it made both he and Byleth stop and look at him. 

Byleth’s voice was softer as she replied, “I am listening, Fe, but I’m also trying to help him. I care about him. I’m sorry that it worries you, but I can’t just leave him alone when he’s suffering.”

Felix shook his head and threw his arms out to the side. “He’s going to get himself killed if he fights like that.” 

Byleth nodded slowly and stepped a little closer to put a hand on Felix’s upper arm. “I know. I told him I wouldn’t let him fight unless he starts taking better care of himself. Please… just trust me. Please, Fe?”

Felix’s shoulders stiffened as he turned to the side. “I don’t want to waste my time talking about this anymore. If you want to continue to foolishly believe Dimitri is in there, I can't stop you. But don't come crying to me when you realize I'm right.” He turned around and headed into his room, slamming the door loudly behind him.

Byleth stared after him with her hand pressed to her chest. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to keep both of them happy. Sometimes it feels like Felix is trying to make me choose between them.” Her voice sounded defeated and she sighed before turning to him. “I’m sorry.”

He crossed his arms behind his head and chuckled. “What are you apologizing for?”

Her eyebrows furrowed as she pursed her lips. “I caused all of this trouble… also I hurt you in training.” She stepped forward and placed her hand on his stomach, making him tense at the contact. She seemed to take the reaction as pain. “Does it still hurt?” She started to lift his shirt again and he grabbed her wrist lightly, making her wince. He let go and glanced down to see they were already discolored with the bruises forming there.

His voice was a strangled whisper. “Goddess…” He reached out to grasp her hand but she pulled them away and tucked them behind her back. 

“It’s fine. Just like any other bruises from training. I gave you one earlier, right?” Her eyes crinkled as she looked up at him. She looked so tense, with her shoulders squared and her jaw raised defiantly. It reminded him of Felix, and the thought made him sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. _These two will be the death of me._

“It’s not your fault, and I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” He wanted to see her smile again, like how she was during their spar. She had been so animated then. He wanted her to feel that way again, instead of stressed and sad like she was now. “It was nice, seeing you so excited. Do you feel better today?”

She started walking toward the door and he walked beside her. She tilted her head for a moment, then said, “It’s strange, I have all of this extra energy. And it feels like everything is more intense. I don’t know if that makes any sense.”

He tilted his head and looked at her. “I’m not sure. Give me an example?”

She smiled and looked up at him as they walked. “When we were sparring, the jolt up my arms when I parried your lance made my chest feel warm. I felt excited by how strong you were, or maybe excited by the challenge. I don’t think I have ever smiled that much just from sparring. It was strange.” 

He shook his head and laughed. “You and Fe are so alike sometimes… it’s kind of scary.” She shoved his arm and smirked at him. He poked her side and she jumped, her eyes going wide as her mouth dropped open. _Well, that's new..._ A huge grin spread across his face as he stepped closer to her. “By… are you ticklish?”

She took a step back and shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve never been tickled before.” Her eyes widened as he continued to step forward. “Sylvain Jose Gautier, you stop right there.” She pointed at him, trying to use her teacher voice even as the side of her lips quirked up. 

He reached out to grab her, and she jumped out of the way. She turned and ran toward the door, her laugh echoed down the hallway as he chased after her, making his chest feel warm and a smile spread across his face. He chased her out the door, and around the pond. Her sea foam hair trailed out behind her as she ran, casting glances over her shoulder at him with a smile on her lips. 

She was turning to run into the marketplace, when someone called, “Professor! You have come at just the right time.” She skidded to a halt right in front of him and he barreled right into her. Miraculously he didn’t send them toppling and she helped him stand up straight. Her face slipped back into neutrality as she stared at the people in the entryway. He mourned the loss of the playfulness she had only moments ago. 

Sylvain turned and bit back a grimace as his eyes landed on Flayn and an angry looking Seteth. Byleth nodded slowly and said, “What’s going on, Flayn?”

Flayn chattered animatedly, hands reaching out to clasp Byleth’s. “Surely it must be fate that you have appeared at a time of my greatest need! My dear brother is about to set forth on a most dangerous mission.”

Byleth tilted her head to her fist and glanced at a grimacing Seteth. “A mission?”

Seteth gave an exasperated sigh with a pointed glare at Flayn, before he nodded his head. “Indeed. The Western Church is attempting to seize sacred ground by force. Though they now have a new bishop, it seems that a radical faction has emerged to resist the new order. We cannot allow the holy artifacts enshrined there to fall into their hands.”

Flayn nodded with a slight frown. “I, too, wish to be of use to the church! And I do admit I am terribly worried about my brother. No matter my protests, he will not allow me to come. Professor, this is where you can help. Will you accompany us both on this expedition?”

Byleth asked, “Why me?” with a tilt of her head. She seemed to be glancing at Seteth a lot, and he seemed to be avoiding her gaze, which was odd.

Flayn furrowed her eyebrows and sounded so concerned as she pleaded, “If you are there to protect me, my brother’s fears will be allayed. Isn’t that right, Brother?”

Seteth’s voice was hesitant as he finally made eye contact with Byleth. “I suppose your aid would indeed be useful, yes.”

Flayn clasped her hands in front of her chest with a big smile. “I knew it! Please, Professor, will you join us?”

Byleth turned to Seteth. “Where is this sacred ground you speak of?”

Seteth folded his arms behind his back and firmly stated, “It’s on the Rhodos Coast. It is about a two day’s journey from here, so we must prepare to leave at once.” Byleth bit her lip and tilted her head to her fist, which was what she often did when presented with a question she had to think about. She was silent for a while as Flayn began to fidget nervously in front of her. Seteth’s expression visibly shuttered as he stepped away from the group. “I will trouble you no longer, Professor. Please watch after Flayn while I am away.”

Byleth whipped her hand out and grabbed his and he startled. “No! I’m sorry. I had to think about the best way to handle this with the students. I think it would be best to bring all of them along, but I want to leave some behind for the actual fighting. Is that alright?” 

She turned toward him and raised an eyebrow. “You would come, right?”

Seteth and Flayn seemed to remember he was there and Seteth looking him over critically. Sylvain nodded with his nonchalant grin plastered on and said, “Of course. Would you like me to go and tell the other Lions to prepare to leave?”

Her eyes lit up, even though she kept her expression neutral. “Yes, please. Leave Dimitri to me, though. I need to speak with him before we depart.” She bit her lip slightly and turned back to Seteth. “We’ll depart as soon as everyone reaches the gates.”

He bowed low and his eyes softened slightly as he said, “Thank you, Professor.”

She shook her head. “It’s Byleth, Seteth. Call me Byleth.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to post another chapter today because GUYS WE ARE GETTING SO CLOSE TO THE TIME SKIP! AHHHH!
> 
> Next chapter will be the Rhodos Coast mission. I really wanted to fit this mission in because it's really important for Byleth's relationship with Flayn and Seteth. I was going to do it during the last month, but I felt like Byleth would want to stay at the monastery to wait for word on Monica. Traveling to the coast doesn't seem like something she would really want to do. 
> 
> The fact that she has gone through her transformation also adds an element on Seteth's opinion of her, which we will explore more in the next chapter. (He's being weird. Byleth will know why soon.)


	55. Chapter 55

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full disclosure... I added a self-indulgent beach arc purely because @MrMogi asked for it. It's cheesy but... just enjoy the fluff. There's not much left.
> 
> Soooo... yeah! Rhodos Coast mission! Let's go!

~Felix~

It was just after dawn, and the Blue Lions were preparing for battle at the Rhodos Coast. The night before they had camped on the beach to prepare for an early assault against supposed heretics from an offshoot of the Western Church. Felix didn’t care much about the details to be honest. Byleth said Seteth had asked for help, and when he didn’t care about that, she asked him to go for her sake. She had a tendency of doing that… and it normally worked. 

“Professor, I can fight. Take me with you!” The boar grabbed onto Byleth’s arm and Felix mostly involuntarily slugged the boar’s arm in retaliation and stepped beside Byleth. The boar dropped his hand, his mask twisted in fake remorse, as Byleth shot Felix a quick look of irritation. She had only brought the boar to keep an eye on him. She was still foolish enough to think she could keep the beast at bay.

“Dima… we talked about this. I told you you could come if you agreed to stay behind with the supplies while we did the actual fighting. Dedue and Linhardt will be staying here with you.” Dedue nodded firmly as Linhardt sighed happily and climbed into the wagon, probably to take a nap.

The boar tensed, ready to continue arguing, but Felix cleared his throat and glared at him. “Do as she says, Boar.”

Byleth pushed his arm and pointed over to where everyone was preparing to walk further up the beach to confront the dissenters from the Western Church. “Go over and prepare for battle, Felix. I’ll join you in a moment.”

When she didn’t budge at his glare, he scoffed and walked over to stand near Ashe. The freckled archer was tense as he paced back and forth. His shoulders were tight as he fiddled with the string on his bow, and he kept reaching back to check the arrows in his quiver. Ashe had come a long way since the start of the year. He had great aim, and had calmed a lot in the face of battle. He was never this anxious anymore. 

Felix asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

Ashe stilled and glanced over at him in surprise. “Ah, it’s nothing.”

Felix put a hand on the hilt of his sword and shifted his weight back slightly. “It’s not nothing. You aren’t normally this tense before battle. Not anymore anyway.”

Ashe’s eyes widened before he chuckled slightly and smiled. “I guess you are right. I didn’t think you of all people would notice, though.”

Felix narrowed his eyes, but didn’t acknowledge the slight insult. It was true he didn’t openly express concern about his classmates. It was something Byleth often chided him over. _The damned Lone Wolf thing she always babbles on about when she’s upset with me._ “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong or are you going to be distracted in battle?”

Ashe sighed and flexed the arm that held his bow. “I’m nervous about confronting this group from the Western Church. I still don’t have any answers about why Lonato did the things he did, and these people might be part of the group who used him to further their own goals.” His knuckles whitened on his bow before he took a deep breath and relaxed his grip. “It still makes me so… so angry!” 

Felix nodded slightly and turned his head to look up the beach. “It makes sense. Just try to keep your head, alright? It’ll be annoying if we have to cart you back to the monastery.” 

“That’s Felix speech for, he doesn’t want you to get hurt. So, please be careful.” Sylvain’s voice was cheeky from atop Emery, and Felix glared at him as he laughed with an exaggerated wink. 

Ashe looked between them and grinned, “Right. I promise not to be a burden. Thanks Felix.” He nodded and walked over to stand near Annette, putting a soft hand on her lower back as she smiled up at him.

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “You’re an idiot, you know that?”

Sylvain put a hand over his heart and grinned, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Fe!”

“Professor!” Wingbeats sounded above them as Ingrid flew lower on her pegasus. “Their group consists of mostly mages, but it seems they’ve brought along foot soldiers as well.”

Felix glanced over and watched as Byleth patted Dimitri’s shoulder one last time, before walking to the head of the group. “Alright. Thank you, Ingrid.”

“Hey Professor!” Caspar’s over-enthusiastic yelling came from the other side of camp, “Can we get in the water after the battle? I wanna play on the beach!”

Various murmurs of approval and disapproval rippled through the Lions as Felix rolled his eyes. _What are we, children?_ Byleth looked over to Seteth, who looked like he was thinking something similar to Felix. His nose wrinkled slightly in distaste and his mouth opened, probably with an excuse, but then Flayn walked up and took his hand.

“We have time to spend the afternoon at the beach, right Brother?” Flayn’s eyes were big and her smile was all manipulation. He could see Seteth’s resolve crumbling in the face of his little sister, when Byleth spoke up.

“They have been working rather hard lately. I’m sure an afternoon off couldn’t hurt?” She lifted a brow in question, and Felix could see Caspar pumping his fist off to the side.

Seteth let out a long-suffering sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose before raising his head and saying, “I suppose that will be alright…” he paused and turned to Byleth “assuming there are no major injuries in battle, of course.”

Most of his classmates cheered while Byleth shook her head with a slight upturn of her lips. “That means everyone needs to be in top form today. Watch each other’s backs, and we’ll come back and have some fun.”

  
They marched further up the beach, and were quickly met with cries from their enemies. On a small patch of land out a few yards from the coast, sat a huge stone monument. A group of mages stood on the land, and seemed to be trying to open it with magic. The mages turned at their approached and one of them shouted, “You heretics, who defile our goddess! The sacred coast belongs to us, the Western Church!” Felix couldn’t help but roll his eyes. _This is ridiculous._

Seteth’s voice was full of authority as he yelled, “You are the heretics! Begone from here at once!” His wyvern roared as they soared down and he took out two of the enemies with his lance. There was a power in each of the jabs of his lance, that Felix couldn’t help but be impressed by. He hadn’t expected Seteth to be such a powerful warrior with how stuffy he was on a day to day basis.

The mage, seemingly undeterred by the fact that Seteth was taking out his associates as they all cut further up the beach, shouted, “Silence, dog of the apostate! Prepare to receive our righteous blades!”

Seteth flew closer to Byleth and shouted, “I will recapture the monument. Everyone else should focus on removing the surrounding enemies.” 

He took off in a flash, ignoring Flayn’s pleas to go with him. Byleth shouted, “Ingrid and Sylvain! Help him!” With a nod, their two other fliers took off after him, soaring over the water. 

Byleth gave out orders to the rest of them that were on foot. He and Ashe were ordered to take out the mages up on the cliff side that overlooked the beach, so Ashe could provide cover from higher ground. Felix ran toward a mage at the top of a small set of stairs with Ashe already shooting arrows in an attempt to weaken the mage. 

She screamed, “It is our duty to worship Saint Cichol! We will not allow heretics to come near!” She blasted off a fire spell and he rolled out of the way. Ashe was able to hit her shoulder, and as she clutched it Felix surged forward to finish her off. He grimaced as she choked out, “But it was… for the sake of the goddess…”

He whispered, “No. It wasn’t.” as she took her last breath. _If only they knew what I knew… if only they knew all that Byleth has told me. For the sake of the goddess…_ He shook his head and continued running along the small cliff. He and Ashe worked together to take out the remaining enemies while Ashe sniped off enemies that were attacking their classmates down below.

Annette let out a pained cry, and Felix’s head swiveled to spot her. She was holding a bleeding wound on her torso as she backed away from an enemy swordsman. His heart rate sped up. He was too far away to help. Ashe let out a frustrated cry as he let loose an arrow that struck the enemy in the back. The enemy turned to see where the arrow had come from, distracting him long enough for Caspar ran up and cut him through with his axe.

Annette was still clutching her side, and Felix couldn’t see how bad the wound was from up where they were. Ashe was breathing heavily, his eyes wide with worry as he mumbled, “Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.” 

After making sure they were out of range of any nearby enemies, Felix grabbed Ashe’s shoulders. He kept his tone sharp as he said, “She’ll be fine. The Professor will take care of it. Stay with me so we can get her out of here faster, okay?”

Ashe glanced over and watched as Byleth cut a path for Mercedes to get over to help Annette. He nodded quickly and followed Felix as he continued to cut down the enemies on the cliff. They reached the end and were met by another mage. Magic fizzled in the air and Felix rolled out of the way, just in time to avoid a Nosferatu spell. Ashe shot off an arrow that struck the mage in the throat, killing him instantly.

“You’re a pretty good shot.” He nodded to Ashe who blushed slightly at the praise before turning to check on Annette again. She was being carried away from the fighting by Caspar, and that seemed to help him focus as he continued to shoot down enemies below them.

“SYLVAIN!” Byleth’s cry pierced the air as she sprinted into the waves and lifted her hand. A massive thunder spell caused a burst of electricity to crash down on two mages that stood near the monument. Sand flew everywhere and Felix watched Emery dived out of the way of an incoming fire spell.

Felix grimaced, realizing what probably just happened, or rather didn’t happen because Byleth had intervened. Ashe looked at him in concern and put a hand on his shoulder, mistaking the grimace for worry about Sylvain. “It’s alright, Felix. He got out of the way.” 

Felix shrugged off the hand, but nodded to let Ashe know he was okay. “Right. Let’s finish up.” The enemy leader had called for a retreat. Cries of fear and anger sounded out through the air as Felix and Ashe rushed down the steps to rejoin the others. 

Seteth shouted from his wyvern. “Do you dare compound your crimes further? There will be no escape for you!” He threw a throwing axe into the chest of a swordsman making his way toward Mercedes, the power of the throw knocking him back several feet. 

A mage shot off a fire spell that struck Seteth in the shoulder. He maintained control of his wyvern, though the wound looked severe. Flayn shouted, “BROTHER!” before casting a wind spell that knocked the mage off his feet, blowing sand around in the process. 

The mage stood and cast a fire spell in Flayn’s direction, but it missed with his obscured vision. The mage shouted, “The goddess protects us! We will never yield to the likes of you.” The Sword of the Creator launched forward and struck him in the shoulder as his eyes widened.

“You! You would serve the apostate! You, the goddess’ chosen?!” He flung a fire spell at her, but she cut through it with her sword and it dissipated. The man’s eyes widened as she stepped forward and the Sword of the Creator lodged into his chest. He fell with a groan as she brought the sword back.

That was the last of them. Felix searched the area for any other threats as Byleth rushed over to where Seteth had landed his wyvern. Flayn was running right behind her. 

~Byleth~

As she ran forward, she could immediately see that the fire spell had burned right through Seteth’s light armor. His skin was pretty badly burned as he slowly dismounted from his wyvern. Flayn had tears in her eyes as she rushed forward crying, “Brother!” Her hands shook as she reached out to heal him. Byleth stepped forward to help, laying her hands on Seteth’s chest and casting her own Recover spell, trying to ease any magic strain Flayn might be feeling. 

Seteth sighed as the burnt redness of his skin began to heal. “Thank you, Flayn. Thank you, Professor.” She nodded and backed away to give the siblings some time to themselves as Flayn crushed him in a hug.

Sylvain and Emery landed next to her and she ran over to check on him. The image of he and Emery falling from the sky as they were struck by multiple fire spells flashed before her and she shook her head. _I’m his commander right now, not his friend._ “Are you injured?”

Sylvain’s mouth was set in a thin line. “No. I’m fine. I’m sorry, By.”

“Stay with your allies next time. No flying forward to take on three mages all by yourself.” He nodded slowly and watched her carefully as she stepped forward to scratch Emery’s chin. 

“Byleth?” Seteth’s voice sounded out behind her and she turned to face him again. “Would you mind coming with Flayn and I? I’d like to show you the monument.” 

“Of course.” She turned to Sylvain and said, “Do you mind if I borrow Emery to get over there?” Sylvain shook his head, face still serious, as he turned away to walk toward his classmates. _He’s upset… I’ll talk to him later._ She called, “Head back to camp, everyone. Spend the rest of the day relaxing. You all deserve it. We’ll meet you shortly.” Cheers sounded out from the students as she climbed onto a cooing Emery.

Flayn climbed into the saddle behind Seteth and they all took off, skimming over the water before landing on the little patch of land that held the monument. Seteth smiled back at Flayn and said, “Flayn… will you place some flowers at the monument?”

“Of course, Brother. That is what I came here to do.” Seteth helped her climb down from the saddle and she grabbed a slightly crushed bouquet from the saddlebags before walking over to place them in front of the stones.

She and Seteth stood back and watched as Flayn knelt down and seemed to pray in front of the monument. He turned and bowed to her. “Your assistance is most appreciated. I can only hope that the Western Church will now see reason and abandon this place. But just to be safe, I will retrieve the holy artifacts. We cannot risk them falling into the wrong hands.” 

He stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on Flayn’s shoulder, causing her to look up and then stand and back away. He waved his hand and murmured something she couldn’t understand. The sigils on the stone started to glow. When Seteth touched it, part of the stone swung out, revealing a long compartment. Inside rested a lance unlike anything she had ever seen, and a long magic staff. Seteth reached forward and took them out before murmuring something else. The stone swung back into place and looked like it hadn’t moved in the first place.

Seteth nodded to her and said, “I will entrust these to you.” 

“What? Why?”

Seteth chuckled slightly and handed them to her, she turned and strapped them to Emery's saddlebags as he said, “Because you have been a valuable ally. I know you will put them to good use.” He turned to stare at the monument and continued. “I must confess, despite the situation, it was a pleasure to return here. This coast has a certain sentimental significance to my sister and I.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “Yes. This stone monument is not merely here to commemorate Saint Cichol. It is also the grave of my wife.”

Flayn bowed and whispered, “You are safe now, Mother. Finally, you may find peace.”

Byleth’s eyes narrowed slightly as she turned and in a neutral tone said, “So, your mother is also buried here? Or am I right in assuming you are actually Flayn’s father.”

Seteth sighed and cut a glare to Flayn, who bowed her head and walked to kneel over at the monument again. “I suppose you have earned the right to know. But this must remain between us.” As soon as she nodded in agreement, he said, “You are correct. Flayn is actually my daughter.”

Byleth nodded and looked between them. “I’m assuming you are covering it up for the same reason you cannot tell me what is so special about Flayn’s blood?”

Seteth recoiled slightly. “You seem… unsurprised. And here I thought we had hidden it skillfully. You are, again, correct. There are many who would seek to harm Flayn due to the unique blood she bears. Falsifying her identity is necessary to conceal her from such individuals. Mercifully, I happen to look quite young for my age. We make rather convincing siblings, do we not?”

She took a moment to look him over. He really did look young, maybe in his early thirties. She could see a bit of his strong shoulders and chest where the spell had burned his tunic. He was an attractive and fit individual, objectively speaking of course. Which was even more impressive due to how old his daughter looked. She smirked as she glanced back up at Seteth’s face and noticed he was blushing slightly under her attention. She shrugged and said, “If you say so.”

Flayn giggled into her hand and glanced at their surroundings with a fond smile. “Mother loved the coast so much. She and I came here together often. Fishing was her favorite pastime. I used to sit and watch her cast her line.”

Seteth smiled softly. “I remember it fondly. You did so love to eat the fish she caught, as well.”

Flayn nodded. “Fish is my favorite food, it is true. Due in no small part to Mother.”

Seteth folded his arms and glanced at the monument. “I still come here to fish from time to time, using the skills my wife taught me. It reminds me how deeply I appreciate those years… and how I wish I could return to them.”

Flayn walked forward to hug Seteth. “We cannot turn back the clock, Father. We must live our lives fully, in the present moment.”

Seteth stroked her hair and smiled fondly. “You’re right. That is what she always said, isn’t it? Dwell too much on the past, and you may be unable to move forward.” Flayn stepped back with a smile.

Seteth focused his attention back on her. “Byleth, I am sorry that I ever doubted your ability. After watching you fight and take command of your students today, I’m sorry I ever held such a view of you. It is obvious to me now that you are extraordinary.”

“Really?” She couldn’t keep the surprise from her voice. After how distant he had been over the last few weeks, the last thing she was expecting was compliments.

“Do you doubt your own power, even now?” He put a hand to his chin and looked down in thought. “I suppose that’s only natural. You’ve lived your whole life knowing next to nothing about yourself. Not even Jeralt could have possibly known all there is to know about you. But I wonder, are you satisfied with that?” 

“What do you mean?” _Why is he saying this now? What does he know?_

His deep green eyes bore into hers as her pulse sped up. “Are you content not knowing who you are? Or do you yearn to know more?”

She suddenly felt nervous, and she couldn’t understand why. “I… wish to know more.”

“That was a foolish question, of course. You are not the sort to be complacent. So, only one more question matters: Are you ready?”

“Ready for what?”

“The truth. All of it. Learning it will doubtlessly have direct consequences on your life. I do not know what those will be. You may decide, once you learn it, that you wish you hadn’t. But even if you have such regrets, you will never be able to return to ignorance.”

Nervousness was pushed aside as anger boiled in her stomach. She clenched her fists and through gritted teeth said, “What do you know, Seteth?” Flayn looked at her father as if she was suspicious, as well.

He shook his head. “Next to nothing. But I will do all that is within my power to help you someday reach the truth.”

“Then why say all of this to me?”

His face softened as he looked her over. “Because my daughter is fond of you, as am I. The archbishop relies on you, as do I. But more than all that, I have decided to put my faith in you.”

“Why now?” It was a genuine question. Her relationship with the Archbishop’s advisor had been full of ups and downs, and she never knew exactly how he felt about her. It was partially due to his taciturn (and frankly uptight) behavior. But she was beginning to wonder if maybe Seteth wasn’t sure how to feel about her, himself. 

He put a hand on his daughter’s shoulder and pulled her close. He smiled gently at Byleth and said, “Because there is something special about you, and not just the fact that you have been blessed by the goddess. It’s in the way you fight, it’s in the way you lead, and it’s in the way you care for those around you even when you are struggling. I truly hope that you receive a revelation at the Holy Tomb. I hope you receive answers to all of your questions.”

He couldn’t possibly know that there was little chance of that happening. Sothis only knew what Byleth herself knew, not that she would be able to speak with Byleth anyway. “Thank you.” She bowed her head slightly and turned to watch the waves. Something about the view made her feel calmer. “I’ll meet you guys back at camp. I think I’ll stay here a while longer.”

“Of course, Professor.” Flayn smiled and she and Seteth climbed onto Esme and took flight in the direction of camp.

She sat in the sand and Emery curled up around her. She thought over the cryptic conversation with Seteth. He seemed genuine, but could she really trust him? Rhea was someone she feared, but she also had the answers to most of Byleth’s questions. Seteth was Rhea’s advisor, but there was also a familiarity between the two. A bond that wasn’t just a leader and her advisor. Would it ever really be safe to trust either of them?

Jeralt would say no, but Jeralt had kept so many things from her. She was sick of the secrets. She was sick of not knowing who (or what) she was. Why was Sothis bound to her in the first place? Why was she granted all of this power. What had Rhea done to her?

 _Sothis… I miss you._ Unfortunately, she received no reply.

She flew in the direction of camp until she heard joyous cries of her name from below. She peered over the edge and saw Sylvain, Caspar, Leonie, Ashe, Ingrid, and Felix down near the water waving up at her. In the distance she could see the rest of her students walking in their direction.

A smile split her face as she leaned over to pat Emery’s neck. “Think you can stay steady for me, girl?” Emery crooned in response, and after another pat she stripped off her coat and collar. She tucked it into one of Sylvain’s saddlebags, and then took off her boots to place them in as well. Emery stayed steady as she slowly shifted to stand on the saddle.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Felix’s angry shout sounded out from the edge of the water, twenty feet below her. She laughed, loud and bright, before jumping off. The wind rushed past her as she dove down into the water.

~Sylvain~

_Goddess… I think I’m in love._ He shook the thought away as he watched Byleth jump from Emery’s saddle and dive into the water. Felix stared open mouthed by his side, and Sylvain let out a chuckle. He watched Emery circle for a moment, and then fly back to camp. _She’s a good girl. I should give her extra treats when we get back to the monastery…_ Felix elbowed his arm and pointed out at the water. Byleth still hadn’t surfaced. 

Nervous murmurs rippled through the group as everyone walked into the water. Rather suddenly, she burst out of the water with a big smile on her face and shouted, “Are you guys coming?”

Caspar let out a whoop before running through the waves, splashing everyone in the process. Byleth swam toward shore, stood, and slowly walked toward them. Felix swallowed heavily next to him, and honestly… he wasn’t doing much better.

Byleth’s seam foam green hair fell in wet waves as she shook it out and ran her hands lightly through it. She had ditched her coat, collar, and boots, so all she had on was a wet crop top, shorts, and her ruined tights from the battle. It was doing… everything… for her figure. Felix’s face was bright red, before he grumbled something under his breath and turned away.

“Do you guys not like the beach?” Byleth finally reached them on the sand, looking between them curiously. Large green eyes stared into his and he couldn’t help the smile that spread over his face.

He shrugged off his shirt, rolled up his light pants that he normally wore under his armor, and yelled, “Come on, Fe!”

Without warning, he charged forward and threw Byleth over his shoulder. She laughed and playfully hit his back, yelping his name as he ran into the waves. The sand crumbled beneath his feet as he got further into the waves, and they both fell into the water. Sylvain righted himself, laughing as he broke the surface of the water.

“You are both idiots. This water is freezing!” Felix was standing a few feet away, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. He was still wearing his shirt, but he was soaked up to his waist. Byleth laughed, stood up, and walked toward him.

“Come on, Fe. Have some fun!” She grabbed his hand, but he stayed rooted where he was. “Don’t make me get Syl involved.” A wicked grin crossed her face, and Felix grimaced.

“He wouldn’t dare.” Felix glared over at him, and he smiled.

“Oh… I dare.” Sylvain stood and started to walk over, and Felix backpedaled. Byleth looped her arms over his shoulders and jumped, wrapping her legs around his waist. Felix’s eyes widened in something that could have been surprise or horror, and his hands came up to hold her legs as his weight tilted backwards. They both fell into the water as Sylvain shook his head with a chuckle. _Poor Fe._

Felix spluttered as he broke the surface of the water, standing up and shaking out his hair that had fallen out of his bun. His face reminded Sylvain of an upset wet cat, and the visual made him laugh even harder. Byleth stood, a huge smile on her face.

“You’re the worst.” Felix’s eyes narrowed as Byleth laughed even more. His shirt stuck to his torso in a way that was majorly distracting. Sylvain could see the toned lines of Felix’s stomach through his white thin shirt. He could also faintly make out the purple scar at his side from the night of Remire. 

He must have been staring a little too long, because Felix crossed his arms over his torso and turned slightly away from him and Byleth. Byleth was unperturbed, she splashed Felix in the face, before running through the water toward Sylvain. Felix spluttered, attempting to wipe the water off of his face, as Byleth grabbed Sylvain’s arm and moved behind him.

Felix growled, “You’re going to pay for that.” Byleth laughed from behind him, poking her head out past his arm to look at Felix. Felix made eye contact with him with a smirk, and he smiled. _Oh… it’s on._

He spun around and grabbed Byleth’s arms, pinning them to her sides. Her eyes widened, and a look of betrayal crossed her face. She whined, “Syl!” She wriggled in his grasp as Felix sloshed through the water towards them. Felix grinned as Sylvain spun Byleth around to face him. 

Felix used both of his arms to send a massive wave of water right into Byleth. She coughed and spluttered, wet green hair sweeping side to side as she shook her head. She tried to free herself, but Sylvain pulled her to his chest. Sylvain said, “Sorry, By. It’s nothing—”

He was cut off when a pair of arms latched onto his shoulders. “I’ve got your back, Professor!” Caspar laughed joyously as he tried to haul Sylvain back into the water. Sylvain tried to shake him off, but the brawler had a good grip. 

Out of nowhere, Leonie and Ingrid ran up and started splashing Felix. Leonie shouted, “You guys are going down!” 

Byleth laughed in his arms, before hooking a foot behind his knee and sending all three of them toppling. When they stood back up, Byleth and Caspar ran over to stand by Leonie and a laughing Ingrid. All four had wicked grins on their faces. 

Felix muttered, “Oh shit.” It was a chaotic, watery mess as all of them started splashing and kicking at the other side. He and Felix were outnumbered, and after a few moments they were both waterlogged and miserable. “We yield, dammit! We yield!” Felix held up his hands and laughter sounded out from the other impromptu team.

Byleth had a playful grin on her face. “That’s what you get for siding against me.” They were a mess of fist bumps and high-fives as they all whooped and hollered. Ingrid wore a satisfied smile that made Sylvain think the saltwater in his nose was almost worth it. 

Sylvain looked around and couldn’t contain how utterly happy he felt. All the stress and worry had faded to the back of his mind, leaving only this. Only here and now. They all trudged out onto the sand, flopping onto their backs and breathing heavily as the sun shone down on them. The sounds of their classmates further down the beach was comforting. It seemed almost everyone was having a good time.

Byleth scooted toward him, leaning her head against his arm. “You betrayed me. I’ve gotta say… it hurts.”

Felix scoffed from his other side. “You’re just mad he likes me more.” They both laughed incredulously, glancing at one another, before sitting up and glancing at him. His eyes were closed, and a soft smile was spread across his lips. He looked so happy, which didn’t often happen with Felix.

A cute pout formed on Byleth’s lips before she sighed and flopped back onto the sand. “Oh well. You win some, you lose some, I suppose.” She smirked and glanced at Sylvain. “Someone has to like him more than me.” Laughter erupted from Caspar, Leonie, and Ingrid as they each voiced their agreement. 

“Hey!” Felix sat up, looking indignant. “I heard that!”

Sylvain chuckled and shook his head. With a sigh he shut his eyes and crossed his arms behind his head, blissfully happy.

As the sun was setting, they finally walked back to camp. Seteth looked Byleth over before rolling his eyes and turning away. Mercedes brought them all water skins and towels before walking back over to sit with Annette and Ashe. 

Felix grumbled about changing out of his wet clothes, before wandering off to his tent. He and Byleth grabbed some food and took a seat on the ground to eat it, staring into the fire for a while. It was a comfortable silence, with Byleth leaning slightly on his arm. 

“Hey, you two!” They both looked up and saw Mercedes standing beside her. 

Byleth asked, “What can I do for you, Mercedes? Is everyone alright? How's Annette doing?” Byleth set her food down on the ground and got ready to stand, but Mercedes giggled and held her hands out to stop her.

“No, no. Annie is just fine, as is everyone else. I figured I’d give she and Ashe some alone time, they could use it. Would you mind if I sat with you guys?”

Byleth nodded and patted the ground next to her, and Mercedes took a seat on her other side. “It’s Felix’s birthday in a few weeks. I wondered if you guys had any ideas for what we could do for him.”

They glanced at each other, and Sylvain shrugged. Byleth turned back to Mercedes and said, “Well… I’m not sure a party is right for Felix. He’s not very fond of those. He’s also not fond of sweets, so that kind of cancels out a cake or anything like that.” Byleth tilted her head into her fist. “Maybe just a simple gift would be best?” She turned to him and he nodded. 

"Felix always hated his birthday parties as a kid."

Mercedes nodded and sighed. “That boy…”

Byleth snickered and nodded. “My thoughts exactly.” 

_He’ll be eighteen on the twentieth._ He stared into the fire and pictured the young boy he knew all those years ago. Who knew he would turn into the Felix he knew today? Grumpy and loyal. Sharp-tongued, but caring in his own way. _He's changed so much, but he's still just... Fe._ His thoughts continued to circle around Felix, and he accidentely tuned out whatever Byleth and Mercedes were saying.

Byleth’s voice cut through his thoughts making him turn and pay attention. “Graduation is coming up fast. What does your future look like?”

Mercedes smiled, but her eyes were sad. “My adoptive father is already trying to arrange marriage into a noble family once I leave the Academy. I’m afraid I don’t have much of a choice.” _Of course he has._ He and Mercedes had bonded over their mutual dislike of their Crests, or rather the way their lives are affected by them. He had already decided her adoptive father was an asshole.

Byleth tilted her head. “What would you like to do?”

Mercedes smile became fond as she stared into the fire. “I’ve always wanted to help people with their troubles, especially those who can’t help themselves. I’ve considered working for the church… I’d like to be like the priest who helped me, but that will be impossible if I marry a nobleman. If I was a commoner, without a Crest or stature, perhaps things could be different… but…”

Byleth’s voice was laced with concern as she said, “Is there really nothing you can do? Couldn’t you just say no?”

Sylvain scoffed. “That’s not how it works for people like us, By.”

Mercedes slowly nodded her head. “Unfortunately, Sylvain is right. It’s a bit sad, but… this is the way things have to be. After all, only the goddess can decide our fates.” Mercedes looked so melancholy, staring into the fire. His irritation burned into rage. _These damned Crests. They take away all of our freedom. Mercedes should be able to do whatever she wants with her life. I should be able to make my own choices._

Byleth hummed quietly and stared into the fire. “I don’t know if this helps… but I doubt Sothis would expect you to give up on your dreams. Especially when your dream is so selfless. Everyone seems to think of her as this strict rule giver, and don’t get me wrong she was strict. But she was also kind and compassionate. I think she would want you to find your own happiness.”

His heart twisted and he turned his head away to stare at his food. _Find your own happiness… What would my own happiness even look like? He scoffed and shook his head. Like father would even give a damn. It’s all about my stupid duty._

Mercedes voice was soft as she said, “I suppose if you say that, it does make everything I said seem silly.”

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you feel silly. I’m…” Byleth hung her head and sighed. “I’m not going to tell you what to do. I just want you to be happy. I want you to live the life you want to live. That’s what I want for all of you.” Her hand rested on his forearm and he looked down at it.

Mercedes giggled softly and rested her head on Byleth’s shoulder. “Thank you, Professor. I hope you get to find your happiness, too.”

Byleth smiled softly. “It may sound silly, but I kind of have. Being here with all of my Lions, it’s stressful and hard, but you all make me feel happy in your own little ways. I’ll miss you all when you leave.”

Mercedes tone was teasing as she said, “We’ll miss you, too, Professor. Some will miss you very very much.” 

Byleth shook her head. “What do you mean?” 

Mercedes winked at him before she giggled again and patted her hand. “Oh, nothing. I’m just teasing, Professor. I think I’ll turn in for the night. Goodnight, Professor. Goodnight, Sylvain.” With a nod of her head and a soft smile she walked away. He flushed and turned his face away from Byleth. _Mercedes acts all innocent, but she can be conniving when she wants to be…_

They sat in silence for several minutes, the only sounds were the crackling of the fire and the crash of the waves in the distance. His thoughts wandered back to the battle, and Byleth’s cry of his name. He knew what she must have seen, and it was eating away at him.

“I want you to promise me something.” His voice was only a whisper, even though no one was listening to them. Most had already gone back to their tents. She looked up at him expectantly. “I want you to promise that you’ll always tell me when you have to use your power for me. Or maybe it’s on me… I’m not sure how to put it. I really don’t even understand it.” He leaned back on his arms and looked up at the sky. 

She looked down at her lap, and her voice wavered slightly as she responded, “Maybe it was selfish to tell you… maybe it would have been better if you didn’t know.”

His sat back up and scooted closer. “No! I’m glad I know. I can’t imagine what it must be like for you to have to be the only one that remembers. I just… need to be better so you don’t have to do it next time.” He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. He glanced over at Byleth and hesitantly asked, “Can I… ask you about it?”

She tilted her head slightly. “The Divine Pulse?”  
He nodded and watched her reaction. There were so many questions he still had about all of this. She didn't even have to think about it, she just raised an eyebrow and nodded. “How many times have you had to use it?”

She hummed and furrowed her eyebrows in thought. “Honestly, I’m not sure. I haven’t kept track.”

His heart dropped to his stomach. “So, it’s been a lot then?” 

She shook her head slowly. “Less and less as the year goes on. Besides the day my father died, of course.” She tucked her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “You guys are getting a lot better, but battle is unpredictable. Especially some of the ones we’ve been in.”

 _That makes things a little better…_ “Does it affect you?”

She nodded and turned her green eyes toward him. “It depends on how much I use it. It’s similar to when someone uses too much magic. The ache and fatigue of magical burnout. The most I’ve ever had to use it in one day was the day my father died. I used it four times… twice when we were fighting those demonic beasts and twice to try and…” She swallowed thickly and he put an arm around her shoulders. Trying to talk about her father still seemed really hard for her.

His voice was strained as he whispered, “Your limit? You mean it could kill you if you used it too much?” He had read a few legends where the hero died because in a last ditch effort to save someone they had used too much magic. The thought of Byleth dying like that, because it's totally a possibility with the way she threw herself in the way for any and everybody, sent a chill down his spine.

She shrugged lightly and looked into the fire. “Probably. That, or I just wouldn’t be able to do it. Sothis used to worry that her power was too much for my body. I wonder if it’s different now that we’ve become one. Maybe I can use it more, now?” She tilted her head and pursed her lips. “I hadn’t really thought about it until now.”

“I hope you never have to test it.” He shook his head as worry rushed through him. He knew she would do anything to keep them safe, including using it until it killed her. It’s just the way she was… and that terrified him.

She shook her head and lightly traced her finger between his eyebrows. He sighed and melted into her touch. He was trying to work up the nerve to reach out and hold her when she whispered, “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you all safe. But really, I don’t have to worry about you all nearly as much now. You have all become rather skilled over the last several months, you especially. I’m really proud of how far you’ve come.” Warmth spread through his chest and he smiled at her. His cheeks hurt from all the smiling he had done that day. It was a nice feeling.

She smirked and in a playful tone said, “Maybe one day you’ll be as hot as Seteth when he’s on his wyvern. Did you see him? Man… I was not expecting that!” 

He laughed incredulously and shoved her with his shoulder and she put her hand out to steady herself. His tone was teasing as he said, “That’s what you’re into? Seteth? Really?” He wrinkled his nose but smiled as he laughed. _I mean… she’s not wrong. Not my type, but she’s not wrong._

She chuckled slightly and rolled her eyes. “He’s handsome, but I’m sure he’s too pious to be any fun.”

He let out a startled laugh and stared at her. “I'm sorry... what?!”

She tilted her head and smirked at him. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

He shook his head as his eyebrows raised. “I mean… I just never…” He looked at the fire and put a hand to his forehead. Any fun? Wondering what she thought was fun was sending terribly awesome images to his brain before he could manage to shut them down. 

“I’m a mercenary, Sylvain. What did you think we did to blow off steam?”

He choked on his own spit and pounded a hand into his chest to try and remind himself to breathe. “I don’t know. You worked with your father… and you weren’t exactly…” he trailed off as he continued to fluster. He had assumed she wasn’t… experienced. When she got to the monastery she was so expressionless. He had really only pretended to hit on her in the beginning. Sure she was always hot, but…

She raised an eyebrow and smirked. She supplied, “Expressive?” When he nodded sheepishly, she shrugged. “I never really felt much. It was just what everyone else was doing, I guess. Every time we would stop in a town, we’d all hit the tavern, and most of the crew would sneak off with someone.” 

He didn’t like the thought of her with other guys… or girls. _Shit. Is she into girls? Oh goddess… Wait. Getting off track here._ “And… you would… too?”

She shrugged. “A lot of people were too intimidated by me. Some were brave enough to approach me, though. If I thought they were interesting I’d give them what they wanted, but that didn’t happen very often.” _I’ll bet. Hitting on the Ashen Demon as the Blade Breaker looks on…_ Though Jeralt had been weirdly cool that one time he had dragged Sylvain out of the infirmary when he had slept next to Byleth. He still didn't remember much of that night.

He turned to look at her profile. “So… you’ve never really liked anyone you’ve slept with?” 

She shrugged again and looked into the fire. “I’ve found people attractive. In one town, there was a traveling bard who had a beautiful voice. We spent two nights together, but I wouldn’t say I liked him or anything. I don’t even remember his name, just the song I made him sing for me over and over.” She paused and turned to look at him. “Have you ever liked anyone you slept with?”

He turned and looked into the fire. After a moment he whispered, “Just once.”

“What happened?”

He chuckled darkly and shook his head again. “The morning after… I went to take her flowers, like the fool I was. I overheard her talking to her mother. Her mother was congratulating her on bedding me, Sylvain Jose Gautier, the Crested heir of a prominent noble house. When I asked her about it, she tried to play it off. Eventually she caved and told me she thought I was good looking, but she wouldn't have tried to date me if it wasn't for my title and Crest. She told me her mother had asked her to do it. She said she was sorry... but I doubt it really mattered much to her.” That had been the day he had given up on anyone ever liking him for who he was. Miklan had always told him that people would only like him for his Crest, Miklan had constantly taunted him about it as he smacked Sylvain around. He never truly believed it until that day, though. “I haven’t since then. I probably never will.”

Her voice was soft as she asked, “But… why? I mean, you could if you wanted to, right? If you liked someone?”

He ran a hand through his hair again and continued to stare into the fire. “I accepted the fact that that wasn’t in the cards for me a long time ago, By.”

He saw her shake her head from the corner of his eye. “So, you’ve just given up? You aren’t even going to try to find someone you love? You’re just going to do whatever your father asks of you?”

 _Well… my father wants me to marry you… and I…_ He couldn’t even think it. Just the thought opened up a pit in his stomach. All he mustered up was, “It’s complicated.”

“But you deserve more than that!” They had been talking in such soft tones that when she raised her voice, they both startled slightly.

He shook his head before he lowered it into his arms. He stared down at the dirt between his knees. He felt her hand as she placed it on his back. She whispered, “Syl…”

“I really don’t want to talk about it anymore. Just… stop. Please?” She tried to rub his back, but he shrugged her away, still not looking at her. 

After a while, she sighed and stood up. She whispered, “Goodnight, Sylvain.” He didn’t watch her walk away.


	56. Chapter 56

~Felix~

As he was getting ready for class, someone knocked on his door. He opened it and his eyes widened slightly when they landed on Byleth. She was biting her bottom lip, her cheeks were slightly pink, and her hands were tucked behind her back. She looked nervous, which immediately made his heart rate speed up, because if she was nervous something was definitely wrong.

“What’s going on? Is something wrong?” He stuck his head out of the doorway and checked the hallway before pulling her into his room. When he shut the door, he turned and startled slightly when she shoved a box in his face.

“Happy birthday!” Her face split in a grin as she wiggled the long, thin package in front of him. “I normally get people flowers and have tea time with them on their birthday, but I figured you wouldn’t appreciate either of those. So…” she drew out the word and raised an eyebrow “I got you this. And I thought instead of teatime, we could do some extra endurance training this evening. Or we could do it tomorrow if you have plans tonight. Whatever and whenever you want.”

He blinked at her a few times and then glanced over at the calendar on his desk. It was, in fact, his birthday. He normally disliked this day because it always meant that he had to go to some stuffy birthday party that he would always hate, and people would always try to force him to eat cake. Because of this, it wasn’t ever a day he anticipated. 

She slowly dropped her arms and furrowed her eyebrows. “Felix? Is everything okay?”

He shook his head a little to clear his thoughts. “Sorry. I didn’t realize it was my birthday. I wasn’t expecting this.” 

“You look upset… did I do something wrong? Do you dislike your birthdays?” Byleth’s eyes widened with as she stepped back slightly. She looked even more nervous, now.

He shrugged and took the box from her hands. “It’s always a day with some stuffy party that I hate, cake I don’t like, and people who pretend like they care when they actually don’t.” He smirked and laid the package down on the bed. “But if I get extra training with you, I think I’ll survive.”

She snorted out a laugh and nodded her head. Her shoulders started to relax and she leaned back against his desk with a small sigh. “I already told Mercedes and Annette not to do a party. Multiple times. I figured you wouldn’t like it. I can’t guarantee they won’t think of something else, though.” The corner of her mouth twitched up as she tilted her head slightly. “If you’re free, I was thinking we could train together tomorrow. I made sure to leave my morning open for you. We could take some training swords and go find a clearing to spar in. It would help you with your footwork. Battles are hardly ever fought on even ground. It’s good to practice in different places.”

Warmth rushed to his cheeks and he turned away slightly to fiddle with the package on the bed. This had to be the first time someone was actively trying to make his birthday about things he enjoyed. Who else would offer him extra training for his birthday? The fact that Byleth was making the effort was making him feel weirdly warm, he felt sweat accumulating in his palms and his temples. “That sounds… fine.” He started to open the box and she slammed her hand on top of it.

“Ummm…” Byleth held her hand down on the lid and he glanced up at her face. Her cheeks were pink and she was biting her bottom lip again. “Maybe you should wait until I leave to open it.”

“Why?” He furrowed his eyebrows. When she didn’t say anything he scoffed and said, “Don’t be ridiculous.” He swatted her hand off the box, pulled the lid up, and took in a sharp breath. Byleth shuffled nervously as he unsheathed the beautiful silver sword. He lifted it to inspect it and marveled at how balanced it was. The grip was dark blue, almost the same color as his hair, with amber diamond shaped cutouts up the center. He noticed something on the pommel, and after looking at it, snapped his head up to look at Byleth.

He rubbed his finger lightly over it and whispered, “Is this…”

She nodded. “My Crest. Sorry if that’s presumptuous. I wrote a card but I…” She bit her lip and sighed. “I just thought it was kind of symbolic. Like… even if I can’t be with you, a piece of me is.” She looked up at the ceiling and he marveled at how flushed her face was. _She must be really excited about this. It’s weird for her to be this nervous._ “I had Rhea show me how to bless it. It should revitalize you in battle when you use it.” 

“This is…” He honestly didn’t know what to say. He had never received a gift like this before. He traced his finger over the curved lines of her Crest and tried to put words together. 

When he didn’t finish his sentence, she quickly said, “It’s alright if you hate it. It’s overly sentimental and I know you hate things like that. It’s not a big deal, I’ll just see you in class.” She started to walk towards the door and he quickly threw the box on the bed and rushed to place himself between her and the door.

“No!” He yelled louder than he meant to and she jumped slightly as her eyes widened. He cleared his throat, and in the volume of a normal person, he said, “It’s… nice. I mean it. Thank you.”

She smiled softly and he couldn’t help but smile back. “Training early tomorrow?”

He nodded. “I can’t wait.”

Her smile grew as she chuckled softly. “I should go. I still need to get things ready for class today, and you need to go and get breakfast.” 

“Right!” He was still standing in front of the door like an idiot. He felt himself blush as he opened the door for her and stepped out of the way. “I’ll see you in a little bit, then.” She nodded and walked out the door.

As soon as she was gone, he shut the door and rushed back over to inspect the sword again. It really was a fine blade, though he would have expected no less if she picked it. As he was strapping it to his side, he noticed the card she had mentioned, sitting in the bottom of the box. He picked it up and broke the simple seal.

_**To my favorite swordsman,** _

_**May this blade keep you safe in the times I cannot. I hope you will use it to cut a path to the future you desire.** _

_**-Byleth** _

His cheeks warmed as he reread it over and over while rubbing his thumb over the pommel of his new sword. He threw the card to the side and put a hand to his forehead. _Pull yourself together, Fraldarius. You’re being ridiculous._

Another knock sounded at the door and after a few deep breaths, he swung it open. Sylvain shouted, “Happy birthday, Fe!” and Felix rolled his eyes. Sylvain looked him over and asked, “What’s wrong with you? Are you sick?” Sylvain put the back of his hand on Felix’s forehead and Felix batted him away.

“No, I’m not sick you fool.” It had a little more bite than he meant it to, but he didn’t want to talk about why his cheeks were probably still bright red. 

“Hey! Is that a new sword?” Sylvain pointed to the hilt and Felix instinctively put a hand on the pommel as he nodded. “Sweet! Was it a gift from Lord Rodrigue?” 

Felix scoffed and shook his head, before closing his door and walking in the direction of the dining hall. “No. It’s from Byleth.”

Sylvain whistled lowly and then chuckled. “Look at you! All I got was some flowers. Does this mean she likes you more?” Sylvain shoved his shoulder playfully and Felix cut him a glare.

“You guys were barely speaking at that point. You were lucky she got you flowers.”

Sylvain sighed dramatically and put a hand over his heart. “True, true. I guess I’ll just have to wait for my next birthday.” Sylvain stretched his arms above his head with a yawn before throwing an arm over his shoulder. “Speaking of birthdays. What are we doing for yours?”

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms. “Nothing. I didn’t even know it was my birthday until Byleth showed up at my door.”

Sylvain sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Listen, I know you don’t like your birthdays, but we should at least do something! What if we went to town for dinner? We could hit the tavern after and get drinks!”

Felix rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to town to pick up girls with you.”

Sylvain furrowed his eyebrows and frowned slightly. “I wasn’t saying we should pick up girls. I was saying the two of us should go to dinner. If you want, I can see if By wants to come?” _Sylvain and Byleth for dinner and drinks. That doesn’t sound… terrible._

Felix sighed and dropped his arms back down to his sides. “I’ll think about it.”

Sylvain grinned and opened the door to the dining hall for him. “Come on, Fe! It could be fun! No flirting or anything, I promise. Tonight will be all about you!”

Claude’s voice cut in from behind them. “Wow, Felix. That sounds like quite the offer. How could you possibly refuse?” When they turned, Claude winked at Sylvain before grinning at Felix. Felix rolled his eyes and stepped up to grab his food. 

“Ah, Your Dukeness. To what do we owe the pleasure?” Sylvain had his sickening flirtatious grin on as he ran a hand through his annoyingly perfect, tousled hair.

Claude wrinkled his nose and shook his head. “Your Dukeness?”

Sylvain chuckled and threw his arm over Claude’s shoulder, leaning in closer to Claude’s face. “You’re right, handsome. That wasn’t the right nickname for you. I’ll do better next time.”

Felix groaned and rolled his eyes. “You can’t even wait until you’ve had breakfast to flirt. How in the hell are you supposed to last a whole evening? Forget it. I’m not going.”

Sylvain dropped the arm that was around Claude and threw up his hands. “Hey! Wait a second! That’s not fair, Fe. We have to do something.”

Felix narrowed his eyes. “No. We don’t.” He took his tray to an empty table and sat down to eat, but Claude and Sylvain came and sat across from him. Sylvain had food, but Claude did not. _Great. Now I have to listen to them flirt while I’m trying to eat breakfast. Sickening._

“New sword?” Claude raised his eyebrow and pointed in the direction of his hip. Felix nodded sharply as he took a bite of his food. “I noticed it when you walked in. It looks nice.” Claude smirked and crossed his arms behind his head like he was stretching. “Noticed it had Teach’s Crest on it, too. That’s quite the gift.”

Sylvain choked slightly on his bite of food and picked up his water to try and wash it down as Claude patted his back. Felix bit back a smug grin and focused on his food. If Claude was jealous of his new sword, then that was just another gift for his birthday. _New sword, extra training, and a jealous no good schemer? I might be converted to liking birthdays if this keeps up._

Sylvain finally cleared his throat and said in a somewhat raspy voice, “I didn’t see that.” He smirked and pointed his fork at Claude. “You must have great eyesight, babe.” 

Claude winked, “I am an archer. I like to be observant.” He leaned his head into his hand and looked at Felix. “So, was it a birthday present?”

“What’s it to you?” Felix took another bite and raised his eyebrow.

Claude rolled his eyes and leaned his face toward Sylvain. “Is he always this friendly? Or am I just special?”

Sylvain laughed, but when Felix glared at him, he turned it into another cough. Felix turned back to Claude and spat, “Why are you even here, von Riegan? It’s too early to deal with your bullshit.”

Claude sighed and sat up straight, looking more serious than usual. “You guys are Teach’s friends. I’m worried about her, so I thought I’d talk to you guys.”

Sylvain’s easygoing mask cracked for a moment before he was back with that same fake grin. “Why are you worried, gorgeous? It doesn't suit your pretty face.”

Claude glanced around to see if anyone was listening before leaning forward and whispering, “I don’t know what Rhea is thinking will happen with this ritual, but something doesn’t feel right. The goddess was living inside Teach, right? But now there’s this ceremony to receive a revelation or whatever. How could that be necessary anymore? There must be another objective. I can’t see there being any danger to the students… but…”

“You think the Archbishop has something planned for Byleth.” Felix’s eyes narrowed and he grit his teeth so hard it hurt. _Claude is a schemer, but he’s no fool. He could be right. But also… how does he know about Sothis? Did Byleth tell him? I guess she told the rest of the class, so she might have…_ His head was starting to hurt. _It really is too early for this bullshit._

Sylvain was pale and the mask was completely shattered. He whispered, “But what could she possibly do?”

Claude shook his head and shrugged. “Honestly? Who knows what Rhea is capable of? She already did something to Teach when she was a baby that caused her to lack a heartbeat. Who’s to say she’s not planning something even worse? Or maybe whatever she did to Teach as a baby was just a lead up to whatever is supposed to happen in the Holy Tomb. Maybe Rhea has been hoping for this all along.”

The Archbishop’s hungry eyes when she first saw Byleth after they came back from the Sealed Forest flashed in his mind, and he pushed away his food with a grimace. Claude looked at both of them and whispered, “I know you care about Teach, but there’s nothing we can really do about it right now. Just be on your guard. I don’t get to go with her, so I hope you’ll watch out for her.”

“We already do, Claude.” 

Claude nodded and stood up. “I know you do. I just thought I’d put it out there. I’ll see you guys around.” He paused after a few steps and turned back to call, “Happy birthday, Felix!” with a wink before running off. 

Felix grumbled, “Asshole…” as he stood with his tray. The ritual was still a week away, but what could they possibly do? Claude was right, something was off about all this. Why hadn’t he seen it earlier?

Felix turned to look at a still very nervous-looking Sylvain. “I don’t think now is the time for merriment. I should be doing more training.”

Sylvain stood and after a short nod answered, “I’ll join you.”

Felix scoffed and raised an eyebrow. “You’re going to do extra training?” 

Sylvain smiled, but it was obviously fake. His light brown eyes were sad as he said, “Consider it a birthday present.”

~Sylvain~

His stomach had been churning for the last two days, and it was especially bad now as he jabbed a training dummy repeatedly with his training lance. It was still pretty early Saturday morning, and he was already in the training grounds. _Who am I, Felix?_ He scoffed as he twirled his lance overhead before bringing it down on the head of the dummy. It left a satisfying dent, and he smirked as he walked over to switch to an axe.

 _Speaking of Felix… where is he?_ He glanced around the training grounds and couldn’t spot the raven-haired swordsman who normally haunted this place at all hours of the day. He did spot a very moody Prince of Faerghus, decimating dummies as he mumbled to himself, but he wasn’t going to touch that with a ten-foot pole. Watching him go nuts with Byleth earlier in the month had made most people too nervous to spar with him. People tended to just give him his space, but Byleth and Dedue helped picked up the slack.

Sylvain had been training more and more since their mission on the Rhodos Coast. Byleth’s yell, and more specifically knowing what it meant, still sent a shiver down his spine whenever he thought about it. He knew he had been too overeager. Ingrid and Seteth had fallen behind as they dealt with a few enemy swordsmen, and one of the mages shot a fireball at Ingrid. Her pegasus had swerved out of the way in time, but Sylvain had gone after the mage without thinking it through. He hadn’t noticed the other two mages until Byleth had taken care of them. If he had just waited for Ingrid and Seteth, then Byleth wouldn’t have had to see whatever she saw. He didn’t want it to happen again. 

He did his best to avoid people, usually hitting the training grounds really early or really late. It wasn’t that he didn’t want people to know he was doing extra training… it was just… _Okay, maybe I don’t want people to know I’m doing extra training. There’s no point in having people raise their expectations._ It was getting harder and harder to keep it from Byleth and Felix, though. If one of them wasn’t here, the other was. He knew that if Byleth caught on, she would probably worry about something being wrong, and he didn’t want her to have any extra stress.

She had been so busy with everything going on. She looked so stressed out all the time. People were traveling to the monastery to catch a glimpse of the “goddess’ chosen”, and he knew it was bothering her. And on top of that, Dimitri took up a lot of her time these days. She monitored his training, ate meals with him, and she was in his room every night. He could hear them talking through the wall. He was pretty sure it was just because she’s so worried about him. _But..._ He shook the thought away, and the gross jealousy with it.

 _I feel like I haven’t seen her relax since…_ He stopped swinging his axe and wiped the sweat from his forehead. _It’s been too long._ He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, grimacing as he realized just how sweaty he was. _Maybe I could get her to go out for drinks tonight. She should have a moment to just be Byleth, rather than everyone’s professor, or the goddess’ chosen one._ He nodded to himself and put the axe away. _I’ll ask her when I see her._

He grabbed his stuff and headed for the door. He opened it and came to a stop. Byleth and Felix were walking down the pathway toward him. Byleth’s hair was done in an intricate braid that was almost certainly Felix’s handiwork. They were both sweaty and dirty, dressed in training clothes with training swords on their hips.

As he was watching them, Byleth shoved Felix with her shoulder, laughing lightly. Felix was looking at her with a soft smile. That churning feeling was back in his stomach and he grimaced slightly. Byleth’s bright green eyes spotted him and she tilted her head with a slight upturn of her lips.

Felix raised an eyebrow as they got closer. “Were you training? Again?” They had trained until pretty late the night before, both of them stressed about the upcoming ritual but not wanting to talk about it.

“Yeah.” He threw on a grin and ran a hand through his sweaty hair. _Probably not my best look._ “I thought I’d get some training in so I could slack off the rest of the day. I don’t have flight duty, so I’m in the clear.”

Felix’s eyes narrowed as his mouth opened, probably for a biting comment about him being lazy, but Byleth was faster. “That’s great!” She smiled at him and pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear where it was falling out of her braid. He watched as her fingers curved behind her ear. “How’s your axe work coming? Did you work on your throwing axes at all, like we talked about?”

He focused his eyes back on hers and threw his hands behind his head. “I was hoping I could get you to spend some time with me on it tomorrow. You’ve got to show me how it’s done!” 

She rolled her eyes, but there was a slight upturn of her lips that made him think she wasn’t too upset about it. “I’m not the best, but I can show you what I know. I could meet you in the training grounds tomorrow morning?”

“That sounds great! How about we go hit the sauna? I don’t know about you, but my muscles could use it.” He winked at Felix, who rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. 

Byleth’s eyes lit up, “Felix and I were just heading that way! Let’s go!”

They separated to the male and female dressing rooms to drop off their stuff, before finally heading into the sauna. They were lucky, and no one else was in there when Felix and Sylvain entered. Sylvain took a seat and leaned back with his arms behind his head. “So, what were you and By up to?”

Felix turned his head to the side, but Sylvain caught the upturn of his lips. “Instead of wasting time on a stupid tea party for my birthday, she offered to spend the morning giving me some extra training.”

The churning feeling in his gut flared and Sylvain tilted his head back. “Wow! That’s nice. She knows you really well.”

Felix nodded his head once and in a slightly softer tone said, “I think it’s the first time someone actually tried to do what I wanted for my birthday.” He paused and then scoffed as he rolled his eyes. “It wasn’t terrible.”

Sylvain closed his eyes and sighed. “You can just say you had fun, Fe. It won’t kill you.” 

Felix scoffed and started to say something, but then the door to the sauna opened and he clamped his mouth shut with an audible click of his teeth. Byleth said, “Cool. We have the place to ourselves.” Felix coughed slightly and Sylvain cracked open an eye in time to watch Byleth pull her tank top over her head. _Holy shit._

She sat down between them in her breast band and short shorts, and leaned back on her elbows with a sigh. Sylvain took a moment to appreciate muscular abs, toned thighs, and strong shoulders, before he shut his eyes again with a shake of his head. _Holy shit. This might be the worst idea I’ve ever had._

They were all quiet for a few moments before Byleth let out a snicker. “I’m surprised you Faerghus boys can be in here with all those clothes on. Even I get too hot if I do that.”

Sylvain sat up with a smirk. “Well, if you don’t have a problem with it.” Sylvain pulled his shirt over his head and threw it to the side. Byleth’s eyes trailed down his torso for a long moment and he took a moment to mentally high five himself for the extra training he had been doing. Felix’s face was bright red as he sat forward with his elbows on his knees.

“Are you okay, Felix?” Byleth reached forward and put a hand on his shoulder, but he shook her off.

“I’m fine. Just because you guys like to walk around half naked, doesn’t mean I want to.” He turned his head to the side and Sylvain noticed the twitch in the muscle of his jaw.

Byleth softly asked, “Does it make you uncomfortable? I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I’ll go—”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Felix’s tone was biting and Byleth’s eyebrows furrowed. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? You look like you might be overheating.” Byleth tried to reach out again, but Felix’s head whipped around and his amber eyes glared into hers.

“I said I’m fine! You think I’m so weak I can’t handle a little heat?” He clicked his tongue and scooted back on the bench to lean his back against the seat behind him.

“I didn’t say you were weak…” Byleth leaned back on her elbows with a slight pout on her lips. She shook her head lightly and turned to look at Sylvain. 

He just shrugged and tilted his head. “Anyway… I was thinking of going down to the tavern tonight. Would you guys want to go with me? It could be belated birthday drinks for Fe?” Felix rolled his eyes, but Byleth smiled slightly. “You should take a break tonight, By. You’ve been working too hard.”

Felix snorted derisively and spat, “You think everyone works too hard.”

“By’s used to mercenary life, Fe. She’s gotta take some time to blow off some steam, right By?” He winked and Byleth’s cheeks became even redder. She lifted one arm to wipe some sweat from her forehead and he watched as a drip of sweat moved down her neck before dipping into her collarbone. _Holy shit, it’s hot in here._ He averted his eyes to stared up at the ceiling, while biting the inside of his cheek. 

Byleth chuckled softly and said, “It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to blow off steam. Too long. Professor life is very different from mercenary life.”

Felix abruptly said, “Then let’s go get drinks.” Sylvain lifted his head in surprise and Felix lifted an eyebrow. “If you need a break, you should take one.”

Byleth looked Felix over for a moment and raised her eyebrow. “And you’d come with us?”

“Why not? We got a good training session in today. I shouldn't need another one tonight.” Felix stood and walked to the door. “When are we meeting?”

Byleth looked at Sylvain and Sylvain tilted his head in thought. “We could walk down after dinner starts?”

Felix shrugged and opened the door. “Fine. See you then.” The door swung shut behind him with a soft click.

Sylvain chuckled and raised a hand to rub the back of his neck. “Well that was—”

“Interesting.” Byleth tilted her head and looked up at him with a soft smile. “This should be fun.”  


When it was time to get ready, Sylvain threw on one of his nicer outfits and checked himself in the mirror. He had chosen a green button down with dark pants. He unbuttoned another button before tousling his hair one last time and heading out the door. He turned to walk down the hall but stopped when Felix’s door opened.

Sylvain couldn’t help staring. Felix was wearing his hair down for the first time in… forever. It fell gently past his shoulders, framing his angular face. He had a black turtleneck sweater on that showed how lithe his frame was, with black slacks. It was so… _HOT._ His brain was being really unhelpful today.

_Geez… maybe this was actually a worse idea than the sauna._

Felix caught him staring and rolled his eyes. He scoffed and muttered, “Idiot” before walking in the direction of the door leading outside. Sylvain chuckled and ran slightly to catch up with his quick pace.

“Wow, Fe. Look at you all dressed up.”

“And you aren’t?” Felix raised an eyebrow and looked him over before scoffing and turning to watch where they were walking. 

“Well I always dress like this to go out. I haven’t seen you in anything but the uniform and training clothes in forever.” After a pause he winked and said, “You look nice.”

Felix scowled and turned his head to the side, not saying anything else as they walked around the pond toward the monastery gates. They both stopped short as Byleth turned to face them. She was wearing a tight, low-cut dark grey sweater, with her short black shorts and lace tights. She was stunning even in the simplest of outfits. 

She walked forward, eyes wide, and reached out her hand. She softly said, “Your hair…” as she looked over the raven tresses that fell down Felix’s shoulders. She stopped herself from touching it but continued to stare. Felix turned his face away, but nodded quickly in approval. A slow smile split Byleth’s face as she ran her fingers through the ends.

Sylvain chuckled and crossed his hands behind his head. “Is it soft? I’ve been just dying to know.”

Felix’s face flushed as Byleth laughed. With a wicked grin she nodded and after running a hand through it once more, she stepped away. “Linhardt’s is softer, though.” Felix and Sylvain looked to each other before they looked back at a still wickedly grinning Byleth. “Let’s go!” She grabbed both of their arms and laughed as they started walking toward town.

~Byleth~

_I wish this could last forever…_

They had been at the tavern for a few hours, drinking, laughing, and joking. Well, she and Sylvain laughed and joked, Felix mostly drank. And Felix was now thoroughly drunk, though he handled more than she thought he would. Every time she or Sylvain warned him to slow down, he defiantly drank more. She didn’t understand why, but she figured he would learn his lesson tomorrow morning.

Sylvain watched with something akin to amusement as Felix leaned into her shoulder. _Felix is… touchy… when he’s drunk._ The normally very reserved swordsman had a hand on her thigh, fingers tracing the pattern in her tights, as he leaned his head onto her shoulder. She was actively trying to ignore the feel of his fingertips against her skin. He definitely wasn’t as touchy as Sylvain, but it was out of the ordinary for him. He didn’t say much, he mostly just sat there and listened as she and Sylvain continued to converse back and forth.

When Sylvain ordered another drink, Felix tried to as well. Byleth shook her head at the barmaid, who shrugged and walked off. “Why’d you do that?” Felix slurred as he raised his head to look at her accusingly. It wasn’t nearly as menacing as he probably thought it was, due to the beautiful flush across his face and the way his eyes couldn’t stay trained on hers.

She tucked a strand of beautiful raven hair behind his ear with a hum. _He should wear it like this more often._ “You’ve had enough, Fe.”

He flushed even more, before putting his head back on her shoulder with a groan. His words slurred as he said, “This is stupid. Why do you guys drink?”

She chuckled softly and patted his thigh. “You’re still young. You might grow to like it. It’s alright if you don’t, though. It always got my father into trouble.” She lifted a hand to press it to her chest. The ache was still there when talking about her father, but it wasn’t as overwhelming as it used to be. She wasn’t sure whether that was a good or bad thing.

Felix grumbled, “Don’t make me sound like a child.”

Sylvain laughed at his pouting before asking, “What kind of trouble did the infamous Blade Breaker get into?” His smile was gentle, but his eyes were wary as he searched her face for any negative reactions. He hadn’t brought up her father or mercenary life since they had been talking. He had mostly brought up easy conversations, probably tricks he’d learned from dating so much. If one could call what Sylvain did dating. She didn’t mind it too much, though. It was easy to talk to Sylvain.

“What trouble DIDN’T he get into.” She rolled her eyes as a smile curled her lips. “He was drunk a lot, as was the rest of the crew. Drinking is kind of part of mercenary life. It helps take the edge off after a really hard assignment. And it’s not like there’s anything else to do when you are traveling in between jobs.”

Felix sat up slowly and frowned. “That doesn’t sound very…” He trailed off and furrowed his brows. He looked confused, or maybe concerned.

“It was interesting to me that you guys looked up to him so much when you were kids. Felix used to tell me all these stories he had heard about my dad, and it all seemed so unlike him. He must have been really different when he was the Captain of the Knights of Seiros the first time. Maybe losing my mother changed him…” she thought about it a little more and then added, “or maybe he was tired of living for so long.” Unease built in her chest and she downed the rest of her ale before setting the glass back down.

“Wait… what? Living so long?” Felix had placed his head in his arms on the table, but Sylvain had his eyes trained on her, his head tilted slightly in confusion. His tousled red hair drooped onto his forehead with the motion, and her hand itched to push it back.

“Alois told me that Jeralt said he stopped counting his age after he hit one hundred. Apparently, he received a transfusion of Crest bearing blood and didn’t age. When Alois told me that, I realized he was right. He never got any older as I grew up. He always looked the same. I don’t even know how old my own father was. I doubt he even knew.”

Sylvain’s eyebrows furrowed and his voice was hesitant as he asked, “Does that affect you? He was your father. What Crest did he have that extended his life?”

She shrugged and stared at her empty glass. “As far as I know, I’ve aged normally. I certainly look twenty-one now. I don’t know what Crest he had, but it’s weird that I have the Crest of Flames if he supposedly had a different one.”

Sylvain ran a hand through his hair and leaned back against his chair with a sigh. “Your life just gets crazier and crazier the more I learn about it.”

She shrugged again. “I don’t know why. Maybe one day I’ll find out.” She reached forward and moved Felix’s hair aside to look at his face. His eyes were half lidded as he stared up at her. “We should get you back to the monastery.”

Felix sat up with a scoff. “I’m fine.”

Sylvain chuckled and stood up. “Sure you are, buddy, but By and I are tired. Let’s go.”

She couldn’t help but smile up at Sylvain before standing herself. Felix stumbled as he got to his feet, cursing under his breath as he reached out to steady himself. She grabbed his arm and threw it over her shoulders and his face flushed as he leaned into her. “I’ve got you, Fe. Let’s go.” She wrapped her arm around his waist and led him out of the tavern.

When they got outside, Felix grumbled, “You don’t have to drag me. I can walk on my own.”

She smirked and said, “I can carry you if you’d prefer that.”

His eyes widened as Sylvain threw his head back with a laugh. “Oh please, By. Oh goddess… that would be hilarious.” He fell behind as he bent over with laughter. When he regained his breath, he ran slightly to catch up with them, taking her other side. He stared at Felix playfully, an eyebrow raised.

“Don’t you dare.” Felix’s amber eyes narrowed, and in the moonlight, it looked like he was red all the way up to the tips of his ears. Whether that was the alcohol or the idea of being carried by her, she wasn't sure.

“I won’t. I was just kidding.” She patted the hand around her shoulders and then cast a simple fire spell in her palm to light the way back to the monastery. Sylvain smiled coyly before reaching out his own palm and holding out a fire spell. 

“You asshole. I knew you could do magic!” She rolled her eyes and put out her spell so she could hold onto Felix tighter. He was rapidly melding into her side, his head hanging slightly as they continued to walk. “How long have you been able to do that?” 

Sylvain shrugged, his face was neutral but his eyes were shining with something, maybe pride. “A while. I’ve been helping Annette with her magical theory every once and a while and I thought it might be useful to learn.”

She removed her hand from Felix’s arm to punch Sylvain’s shoulder. “You should have told me! I would have worked on it with you!” Felix stumbled with a groan, and her arm shot out to catch him.

“Alright Fe. I’m carrying you. Sorry not sorry.” She put an arm under his lower back, and the other under his knees to carry him in a bridal carry. He’d hate it, but she didn’t feel like getting puke all over her back if she hauled him over her shoulder.

Felix fought her for a moment, slurring profanities and trying weakly to get out of her hold, but soon enough he passed out with his head on her shoulder. Sylvain chuckled quietly and looked down at her. “You want me to take him?”

She shook her head. “Nah, I’ve got him.” Felix’s face fell into her neck and she shivered, shaking her head to fight off the heat in her cheeks. 

Sylvain was quiet for a long time as they walked. She didn’t say anything, trying instead to focus on not tripping with Felix in her arms. After a while Sylvain softly said, “He’s worried about the ceremony.”

She turned her head slightly, but couldn’t really see Sylvain’s face with Felix’s head in the way. “Felix is?”

“Well, we all are. Felix, Claude, and I. Claude thinks the Archbishop might have another agenda with all of this. He said some things that freaked us out. I think Felix is really worried about it. Maybe that’s why he had so much to drink tonight.”

She chuckled nervously and hoisted Felix up a little higher to get a better hold on him. “I thought maybe it was some weird competition. Maybe he didn’t want to look bad or something since we can drink more.” She was barely even buzzed after all she’d had to drink. Sylvain’s cheeks were flushed, but he could still walk a pretty straight line, at least.

Sylvain hummed in acknowledgement and practically whispered, “He worries about you a lot. I can tell.”

“Don’t start this again.” She huffed and stared straight ahead. She didn’t want to hear Sylvain’s theory about Felix being in love with her again. It made her stomach twist into knots and she never knew how she felt about it. Every time she thought about the possibility, her brain became muddled.

Sylvain paused before asking, “Don’t start what?” She groaned quietly and shifted her hold on Felix again. They were walking through the gates. They were almost back to Felix’s room so she could get him safely in bed and leave this conversation. 

“Don’t start spouting nonsense again.”

Sylvain walked in front of her and stopped. His eyes were intense, even more so with the fire right in front of him creating shadows on his face. “It’s not nonsense.”

She tried to walk past him, but she wasn’t fast enough with Felix’s weight in her arms. Sylvain cut her off each time. “Sylvain, I kind of have a passed out swordsman in my arms. Can we not talk about this right now?” 

Sylvain ignored her complaint. Instead he asked, “Have you decided what you are doing after graduation?”

She sighed in frustration and Felix stirred in her arms. His hair tickled her neck as he shook his head and looked around. He slurred out her name and looked at her with a confused look on his face. “We’re almost back to your room, Fe. You can sleep there.” She glared up at Sylvain, who frowned and moved out of her way. She walked past him, up the stairs, and to Felix’s room.

Sylvain opened the door for her before stepping back out into the hall. She set Felix down in the bed and took off his shoes before pulling his blanket over him. As she turned to leave, he grabbed her wrist. “Stay.”

Warmth filled her chest as she looked down at him. All she wanted to do was curl up with Felix, but she knew he wouldn’t be acting this way if he wasn’t drunk. It wouldn’t be fair for her to take advantage of the fact that Felix was more touchy now than he normally was. _Besides, if Seteth found out he’d be pissed._ She shook her head and put her free hand on his. “I shouldn’t, Fe. I’m still your teacher.”

Felix mumbled, “Sylvain got to sleep with you.”

The warmth from her chest seemed to rush to her cheeks. He wasn’t wrong. Sylvain had fallen asleep with her twice after her father had died, though the second time he had crept out some time after she had fallen asleep. And there was that one time in the infirmary... “I’ll come and check on you in the morning, okay?” She leaned over and brushed his hair out of his face. On something that felt like instinct, she lightly pressed a kiss on his forehead. 

Hazy amber eyes met hers when she pulled away, and the grip on her wrist tightened. He whispered, “Stay.” The heat from her chest and cheeks, now pooled in her stomach. Really, she just felt hot all over and it was extremely inconvenient at this exact moment. 

Her mouth gaped slightly as he stared at her, but before she could think up a reply she heard, “Can I have a turn next? I want to be tucked in, Teach.” She spun around and her eyes fell on Claude, a lone candle in his hand illuminated his smirk as he looked them both over. The smirk didn’t reach his eyes, and it didn’t feel playful.

Felix slurred something she couldn’t understand before his grip on her wrist dropped. She turned to look at him, but he turned away and buried his face in his pillow. She bit back a sigh as a wave of disappointment rushed through her. _Why am I disappointed?_

She turned and quietly walked out the door, shutting it behind her while narrowing her eyes at Claude. Sylvain wasn’t in the hallway anymore, probably already in bed. Claude’s eyes took a moment to travel over her before he tipped his head to the side. “So, do I get tucked in, too? Or is that only for Blue Lion students?”

“We went out for drinks and he had too much. Sylvain helped me get him back here.” _Why do I feel like I have to explain myself? I'm the teacher, he's the student._

Claude nodded slowly. “Why don’t I walk you to your room?”

She shrugged and started walking, Claude quickly matching her pace. He was quiet as they walked, and she wrung her hands slightly until they reached her door. He broke their silence by asking, “Can I come in?” 

She glanced around and made sure no one was around before ushering him through the door. She busied herself by lighting candles as Claude stood near the closed door. She finished and sat on the bed, looking up at him blankly. He stared at her for a moment, with a calculating look in his verdant green eyes. “You’re still upset with me.” There was no inflection to imply a question, and his face became serious as he set his candle down on her desk and then stood directly in front of her. 

She tilted her head back slightly to look at him. He reached out a hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I miss my friend, Teach.” Sadness flashed in his eyes before he hid it behind neutrality. “I miss you.”

She looked down at her lap and bit her lip. She had been avoiding him outside of training and academics. They no longer had tea times or meals together. She couldn’t shake the feeling of being upset about her father’s journal. He still hadn’t returned it, and it had been almost two months. 

As if he could read her mind, his hand reached into his coat and pulled her father’s journal from an inner pocket. He extended it to her and whispered, “I’m not sorry I read it, but I am sorry if it hurt you.”

She took it and held it to her chest as Claude knelt on the ground in front of her. He placed his hand on her thigh and lightly brushed it with his thumb. “Forgive me?”

“I wasn’t upset that you read it. I would have given it to you eventually.” Claude’s eyes searched hers before he nodded slowly.

“I asked too soon.” He furrowed his brows and looked down at his thumb. “I got so excited by the thought of reading the journal I didn’t even think about you being upset. That was…” he paused and raised his head so his eyes could meet hers. “That was foolish of me. You were grieving. I’m sorry.”

She whispered, “Thank you for bringing it back.” Claude nodded and smiled softly at her, and she was pleased that his eyes were warm.

He reached up and tugged lightly at her bangs. “Can we be friends again? I know I’m terrible at it, but I kinda liked it.” He smirked playfully and whispered, “Especially if we get to kiss again. I vote that we make this a kissing friendship.” 

She laughed and bopped his head with her father’s journal before setting it aside. “You surprise kiss me once and now it’s all you want to do.” She rolled her eyes and smirked.

He placed a hand on his heart in mock hurt. “Hey! It was two times! Don’t take this away from me!”

She leaned forward like she was going to kiss him, but stopped an inch away and whispered, “It must not have been a good one if I don’t remember it.” She smirked and pulled away, but Claude tackled her back onto the bed and pinned her with a playful smile across his face. She laughed, and then realizing how late it was, threw a hand over her mouth to smother it. 

He laid his head on her chest and she brought her hand down to play with his messy hair. He whispered, “It’s so strange to just hear… nothing.” 

He trailed a hand up her body before placing two fingers at her pulse point. He dropped his hand and climbed off of her, moving to sit at the edge of the bed. His voice was far more serious as he said, “Please be careful. Your father was terrified of Rhea. Now I am, too.”

She sat up beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. “Sylvain told me you were worried. I promise to be careful.”

He circled her waist with his arm and pulled her closer, resting his head on top of hers. “Also, I resent you saying I’m a bad kisser. Especially if you aren’t going to let me prove you wrong.”

She chuckled and then whispered, “Talk to me in a few weeks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next... the Holy Tomb! *bum bum BUM*
> 
> I'm still fine tuning the next few chapters. I won't be updating until later in the week. My goal is to post it by Wednesday. I hope you guys had a good weekend!


	57. Chapter 57

~Byleth~ 

The morning of the ritual in the Holy Tomb, a knock sounded at the door, and she rolled out of bed to open it. Flayn was on the other side with an excited smile on her face. “I’ve been sent to fetch you. Rhea wishes to prepare you for the ceremony! It’s so very exciting!” She giggled and clasped her hands in front of her chest. “Come! We are to meet Rhea in her quarters.” 

Flayn grabbed her hand and started to drag her away, but Byleth asked, “Shouldn’t I get dressed?” 

“No! Rhea had special apparel prepared, just for the ceremony!”

“She what?”

Flayn giggled and called, “Come, Professor! We must not keep Rhea waiting.”

When Flayn knocked on the door, Rhea opened it with a gentle smile. “Come in, dear one. There is much to do.”

Byleth entered the room cautiously, glancing surreptitiously around Rhea’s quarters as she did so. Two boxes sat on the bed, but other than that nothing had changed since her visits for faith training. Rhea nodded to Flayn, and the girl rushed out the door.

Rhea stared at her for a while, her eyes trailing over Byleth’s body as she pursed her lips slightly. The look in her eyes was critical and calculating in a way that made Byleth’s skin crawl. In an effort to break the awkward silence, Byleth said, “You wished to see me, Lady Rhea?”

Rhea snapped to attention and smiled. She waved a hand toward a door on the left side of the room and said, “I’ve drawn a bath for you. We must prepare you for the ceremony.”

Byleth’s brain shorted, and she stared at Rhea for a moment. “You’ve… drawn a bath?” 

Rhea clasped her hand in front of her chest and beamed. “We must get you ready! Hurry now!” She led Byleth to the door and pushed it open. The smell of rosewater wafted toward her as she stepped into the slightly humid room. A giant claw foot bath sat in the center of the grand bathroom. A large mirror stood in the corner, with a washbasin beside it. The decorations were somewhat plain, which was surprising with how nice the bathroom was. _Rhea doesn’t have any personal touches in here, or in her room I wonder why._

Rhea pointed to a robe hung on a rack in the corner and said, “When you are finished washing, you may put that on. I will be just outside if you need anything.” She walked out quickly, the door shutting with a light click, and left Byleth alone in the spacious bathroom.

Byleth looked around the bathroom for a moment, still confused and uneasy about whatever was going on. She undressed slowly and stepped into the deep bathtub. She sat back with a sigh as the warm water and fragrance soothed her muscles and eased some of her anxiety. _What in the hell is going on? Why is any of this necessary?_ She soaked for a few minutes, before cleaning herself thoroughly and stepping out. 

After drying off, she wrapped herself in the robe as Rhea instructed and walked out into the bedroom. When she opened the door, her eyes widened as they landed on a group of handmaids with the Archbishop. Rhea smiled and ushered her over to a chair. “They are here to help prepare you for the ceremony, dear one. Why don’t you have a seat and relax. They will take care of you.” 

As soon as she sat down, the handmaids got to work. One began drying her hair, another began cleaning and trimming her nails, as another put oils and creams on her skin. Rhea watched from the corner with a bright smile on her face. This was all so foreign to her. The only time people had pampered her like this was the day of the ball. It was relaxing to some extent, so Byleth allowed them to do as they wished.

After about an hour, the handmaids had done her hair and makeup, and her nails were cleaned and trimmed to perfection. Byleth marveled at how smooth her skin was, gently rubbing a hand on her forearms as the women giggled softly. The handmaids bowed to her and Lady Rhea before backing out of the door. Rhea stood and took her hand, pulling her from the chair and leading her to the bed.

“I had these made for the ceremony.” Rhea opened the bigger box, and Byleth’s heart stopped when her eyes landed on a navy-blue silk dress, just like the one Sothis wore. She trailed her fingers lightly over the large gold medallion in the front. “I’ll step out and wait for you to dress. When you are ready, I will help you with the circlet and ribbons.”

“Why do I need to wear this?” 

Rhea stopped short of the door and turned to her. Rhea tilted her head, and her headdress tinkled lightly at the motion. Her mouth curved up with a smile as her eyes roamed quickly over Byleth’s body again. “It is part of the ritual. We must not disappoint the goddess.” 

She stepped out the door and Byleth turned back to the dress. She lifted it slowly and held it out in front of her. Sothis flashed in her mind’s eye as she set it down on the bed. _How could Rhea know? Why am I supposed to wear this? What does all of this mean?_

After putting it on, she glanced in the mirror. The back was almost completely open except for a strap under her shoulder blades and the thicker ones on her shoulders. Her arms were bare other than a slight cuff that hung loose around each bicep. The neckline was plunging and there was a window over her stomach, covered only partially by the heavy gold medallion that was the centerpiece of the dress. The front of the dress had a long slit on each side that ended at her upper thigh. Fine golden embroidery, the color of which matched the medallion, lined the dress in beautiful curved patterns. She had also found a pair of golden high heeled sandals that strapped up her calves.

She moved her arms in the way she would for her sword warmups and grimaced slightly. Her mobility wasn’t impeded, but she sincerely hoped she wouldn’t have to fight. It would be impossible to cover herself and there was no armor whatsoever.

When she opened the door, Rhea turned and gasped. Her eyes were wide and full of excitement and awe as she whispered, “It’s perfect. The goddess will be very pleased.”

“Why would Sothis care what I’m wearing?” The question tumbled from her mouth before she had really pondered the implications of asking. 

Rhea smiled and shook her head in a way that felt awfully patronizing. “Come. Let me help you with the circlet and ribbons.” Rhea gently guided her back into the room and sat her down in the same chair she had been in before. She stared into the vanity mirror as Rhea placed a gold headdress on her head. Rhea hummed Sothis’ song as she braided ribbons into Byleth’s hair and tied one ribbon on each wrist.

When she was finished, Rhea rested her head lightly on top of Byleth’s. With a hand on each shoulder she whispered, “I have waited so long for this day. It must all be perfect.” She raised her head and smiled at Byleth in the mirror. “Are you ready? We must go and meet your students.”

Byleth nodded, and Rhea led her down the stairs. Her pulse raced with each step she took. _As ready as I’ll ever be._  


~Sylvain~

Dimitri had woken everyone early this morning and warned them that they were to wear their full armor for the ceremony. “Make sure to shine it to perfection, Sylvain. The Archbishop has asked us to look our very best for the ceremony. No slacking off.” 

Sylvain rolled his eyes and with a nonchalant shrug he closed the door. Felix came by a few minutes later, already dressed in his clothes for battle. He didn’t have much armor to polish with his sword master attire, but he sat on the bed and sharpened Sylvain’s axe as Sylvain worked. The sound of the whetstone scraping repetitiously was almost soothing as he polished his armor. Felix’s new sword from Byleth was laid out on the bed beside him.

“Are you ready for this?” Felix’s voice pulled his head back to the present and he glanced up at the swordsman.

He hesitantly responded, “I don’t even know what to be ready for.”

Felix stared at him for a while before raising his axe to examine his handy work. “You really should take better care of your weapons.” 

Sylvain normally would have chuckled and made a joke, but he wasn’t feeling up to it today. He pulled on his armor, tousled his hair one last time in the mirror and said, “Let’s meet the others.”

As they were walking toward the classroom, they spotted Seteth talking to Flayn in hushed tones. Seteth’s brow was furrowed with something close to worry and Flayn’s face was pale. She shook her head vehemently and Seteth grabbed her hands, his eyes pleading. Felix rolled his eyes and remarked, “Why does he act that way? I’ve never met a more overbearing brother.” Felix scoffed and turned into the classroom.

Sylvain rubbed the back of his neck and replied, “I don’t know. I’ve heard Hilda’s is pretty protective.”

Felix grunted in something like acknowledgement and circled up with the rest of the Lions as everyone faced Dimitri. Flayn walked in a moment later and stood near Annette and Mercedes. Dimitri was all princely smiles, and he looked better than he had in weeks. How much of it was an act was hard to tell. He might have just been excited about the ceremony. 

Dimitri smiled at each of them and said, “A revelation from the goddess… To think we’ll have the honor of attending such a historical event. I expect everyone to be on their best behavior for the Professor.”

Dedue said, “And the Archbishop will be attending as well?”

Dimitri nodded. “That is correct.”

Ingrid pumped her fist in the air with her regular determined look on her face. “If something happens to her, all of Fodlan will suffer. We must protect her at all costs!”

Dimitri shook his head with a small chuckle. “This may sound mad, but perhaps we don’t have to worry so much about that. Lady Rhea has said before that she is capable of protecting herself. I have a feeling that is true. I thought it was a strange thing for her to say. And beyond that, her movements bring to mind a great warrior with extensive military background.”

“Who is Rhea, really?” Felix’s tone was biting, his eyes narrowed and his fists clenched. Ever since Byleth’s transformation, Felix had been rather vocal on his dislike of the Archbishop.

Sylvain put a steadying hand on his elbow as Dimitri and Ingrid sighed. Dimitri shook his head and said, “Felix, really. You must be on your best behavior. This ceremony is very important.” Felix glared at him and crossed his arms in front of his chest. 

Ashe chuckled nervously, trying to break up the sudden tension in the room. “I never imagined attending a ceremony for a real revelation…”

Mercedes shook her head and clasped her hands in front of her heart. “I wonder what the ceremony will be like. I’m so nervous! I’m not ready for this!”

Sylvain shook his head. “I can’t shake the feeling that something bad is bound to happen.”

Flayn, who was normally overexcited and cheerful, looked like he had struck her and bowed her head. Felix narrowed his eyes at her in suspicion. Annette didn’t seem to notice Sylvain and Felix. She asked, “What’s wrong, Flayn? You look like you have something on your mind.”

Flayn raised her head slowly and shook it. “Who, me? No… it is nothing. May we all see this through to the end.” Felix stiffened and Sylvain’s chest tightened. She sounded doubtful, and she cast a sad glance their way before bowing her head again.

Dedue, ever the protector, said, “Your Highness, I will protect you no matter what.” When Dimitri didn’t say anything he said, “Your Highness?” Dimitri’s mouth had dropped open and his eyes were wide with awe as heeled footsteps sounded out behind them.

Everyone turned and gasps rang out amongst the Lions. Byleth stood before them in a blue silk dress that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. Her hair was in loose waves that fell past her shoulders and she wore a golden circlet in her sea foam hair. She wore light makeup that emphasized the brilliant green of her eyes. She looked like a goddess, ethereal and beautiful right in front of them. The Sword of the Creator hung from her hip, looking out of place with the finery of her clothes.

Sylvain’s heartbeat was pounding in his ears as Byleth’s eyes met his. Felix growled, “What the hell are you wearing?”

The Archbishop moved to stand beside her. She narrowed her eyes at Felix, who was still staring at Byleth like he was waiting for an answer. Byleth shook her head lightly and Felix scoffed and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

The Archbishop looked at all of them before nodding and saying, “Let us depart for the Holy Tomb.”

They walked through the pathways, all lined with students, knights, and pilgrims as they watched the procession with the Archbishop and Byleth at the head. Dimitri and Dedue were only a step behind, and Sylvain stuck with Felix in the back. Felix whispered angrily, “What the hell is she wearing? She can’t fight in that.”

Sylvain glanced at Byleth, eyes trailing over the skin of her exposed back. “It’s supposed to be a simple ceremony, Fe. Maybe we have nothing to worry about.”

Felix snorted derisively and shook his head. “When has anything happened like it was supposed to this whole goddess damned year?”

Sylvain sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Felix definitely wasn’t wrong. A group of knights stood guard outside the gates leading to the courtyard. They reached the flower lined courtyard, they stopped beside the gondola that people often had tea at. Rhea murmured something and drew some sort of sigil with her hand. As she did, the stone lifted to reveal some sort of chamber. 

The Lions all gasped and stepped back slightly until Rhea stepped in and smiled gently. She beckoned them with her hand and said, “You may enter.” Byleth stood off to the side as everyone filed in, glancing between him and Felix before stepping in behind them. Her face was her same neutral mask, but her eyes were almost pleading as she faced them. 

Rhea pulled some sort of lever and the entire chamber began to lower with an ominous scraping sound. Byleth reached out her hands and lightly placed them on each of their torso’s as everyone jostled. Felix raised his hand and placed it over Byleth’s, and Sylvain did the same. Her shoulders relaxed somewhat until they landed at the bottom. 

The Blue Lions all turned and walked out after Rhea, but Byleth grabbed their hands and whispered, “I don’t know what’s going to happen but—” her sentence trailed off as her eyes widened. 

Her grip on Sylvain’s hand was borderline painful and he whispered, “By? Are you okay?”

She let go and stepped forward, face full of awe, and walked into the large stone chamber. The Archbishop smiled and said, “Are you surprised, Byleth? This is the Holy Tomb.”

Dimitri softly shook his head and said, “Incredible… to think such a vast space has been hiding beneath the monastery all this time…”

Linhardt was glancing back at the chamber they had walked out of. “I wonder what powers that giant mechanism that descends beneath the ground…” he walked slowly back toward it mumbling about some sort of magic until Caspar grabbed his arm and dragged him back to the group.

Rhea projected her voice so all of them could hear her. “This is where the goddess who created this world was laid to rest, along with her children.” Byleth was slowly walking forward and Sylvain followed with everyone else until they reached the end of the chamber. They stopped at a set of stairs that led up to some sort of throne.

Felix latched onto his arm as Byleth stared up at it. The Archbishop’s voice was full of hope as she said, “It is said that our creator-- the goddess Sothis—sat upon this very throne.” She paused a moment and reached out to take Byleth’s hand in her own. “Byleth… Do you recognize this throne?”

 _“When I was young, I used to have a dream of a young girl with long green hair and an elaborate blue silk dress. She was always sleeping on a stone throne, surrounded by nothing but darkness.”_ His breath hitched at the memory of Byleth’s story, and he turned to stare at Byleth. _The dress… the throne… how did Rhea know?_

Byleth looked like she was too in awe of the throne above her to do anything but slowly nod. A creepy smile spread across the Archbishop’s face as she whispered, “So long… I have waited so very long for this day.” She let go of Byleth’s hand and lightly pushed Byleth toward the stairs. “Sit upon the throne. I have no doubt you will be gifted a revelation from the goddess.”

Byleth cast a glance back at them before turning to slowly walk up the stairs. Some sort of green light filtered down on her, making her hair glow as it swayed back and forth with each step. The only sound was the gentle clack of her heels against the stone steps as everyone watched her.

When she reached the top, she slowly sat. She stroked the armrest almost reverently before closing her eyes for a moment. Nothing happened as everyone continued to stare silently. Felix slowly stiffened beside him, and when Sylvain glanced over his eyes were narrowed as he watched Byleth. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his thumb lightly brushing over Byleth’s Crest on the pommel.

The Archbishop’s voice was strained as she said, “Well?” Byleth opened her eyes and stared down at Rhea before slowly shaking her head. The Archbishop raised her hands and rung them in front of her chest. “It was supposed to be but a step away… What could possibly be missing?”

A loud scraping sound echoed behind them. Byleth stood from the throne and Felix ran up, taking the steps two at a time until he reached her side. Sylvain turned along with everyone else, already drawing their weapons as Dimitri yelled, “Halt! Reveal yourself!”

A group of soldiers spilled out of the compartment as more stepped out from the shadows in the sides of the room. Byleth’s rushed steps sounded out behind them as a man shouted, “Don’t move, any of you! If you move, your lives will be forfeit!” He smiled wickedly and raised his arms to the sides. “Thank you ever so much for guiding us this far. The Imperial army will now take possession of everything in the Holy Tomb!”

Lindhardt incredulously muttered, “The Imperial Army?” as Caspar screamed, “What the hell?!”

A familiar figure strode forward to stand at the head of the soldiers, the white mask contrasting with the red feather that stuck out from their helmet. Dedue stepped in front of Dimitri and with his hands gripping his axe asked, “Why is the Imperial army here?”

Ingrid’s voice was borderline panicked as she said, “This can’t be… How did they get into Garreg Mach?”

“Even the Flame Emperor is here.” Sylvain’s eyes couldn’t leave the white mask as the Flame Emperor stood there, staring down the Blue Lions as their soldiers got into their positions. “That can only mean…”

Felix stepped up to his side as Byleth walked between them to stand in front, Sword of the Creator already raised. Felix finished his sentence with, “The Flame Emperor is connected to the Empire. What do you know?” He drew Byleth’s sword and held it out as he took a defensive stance.

Dimitri stepped past Dedue and yelled, “I never imagined you’d have the nerve to return here. What are you after, Flame Emperor?”

The distorted voice echoed through the large stone room as they answered, “Is it not obvious? The Holy Tomb contains great power. The power to rule all of Fodlan.” A chill went down Sylvain’s spine as Byleth’s shoulders tensed. This is what they what they had feared was going to happen. But now? In the Holy Tomb itself?

Dimitri let out an animalistic growl as he wrung his hands on his lance. The silver lance creaked beneath his grip as he yelled, “And to attain that power, you’ll trample anything that stands in your way. Just like you did in Duscur!”

The Flame Emperor shook their helmeted head and said, “I had nothing to do with that.” They raised their hands and ordered, “Quickly, retrieve the Crest Stones! Kill for them is you must.”

Rhea’s voice was full of fury as she yelled, “INSOLENCE! You will atone for the sin of trampling on this holy resting place! Professor. Destroy these villainous traitors who dare dishonor our creator!” Felix cast him a nervous glance before stepping to Byleth’s side. Sylvain stepped to the other and raised the Lance of Ruin.

He whispered, “By, you’re not wearing armor. Stay back with Rhea.”

She shook her head, not even looking at him as she answered, “No. It’s time to take care of this, once and for all.” She strode forward and raised her hand. Magic crackled through the air, before a massive Aura spell rained down on a group of soldiers. Cries rang out from the surrounding soldiers as they jumped out of the way.

Rhea’s voice echoed from behind them. “I will not allow such violence from the Empire! Strike down the rebels and protect the Holy Tomb!”

Byleth cried, “Lions! Forward!” She charged forward as the rest of the Lions let out battle cries and followed. Dimitri sprinted past Byleth, heading straight for the Flame Emperor. The Flame Emperor shook their head and walked back, past their soldiers, all the way to the stone compartment they had all used to enter the Tomb. 

Dimitri was completely surrounded as he tore through soldiers with his lance. Dedue ran up beside him, axe bringing death to anyone who dared to try and harm his liege. Byleth was calling out orders as they all fought. Magic and the smell of blood were heavy in the air as Felix and Sylvain fought by Byleth’s side.

One of the enemy commanders cried out, “The Crest Stones are in the caskets! Open every last one of them!”

Rhea shouted, “The Holy Tomb must not be desecrated! Protect as many of the Crest Stones as you can!” She let out an angry scream. “Do you even know what those are?!”

Dimitri growled, “Heretics! What could be gained from desecrating these tombs and disgracing the dead?!” His lance plunged straight through the neck of a soldier, and he ripped in out with a sickening squelch. His eyes were becoming more and more crazed with each enemy soldier he killed.

Felix muttered, “The boar…” and Byleth glanced over and stiffened beside him. 

Byleth whispered, “Shit.” She ran forward, toward Dimitri, and Felix and Sylvain followed closely behind, cutting down anyone who was foolish enough to go after the woman in the revealing dress instead of armor. Felix was lightning fast, each stroke of his sword ringing through the air as they cut a path through.

The enemies started to run for the caskets that lined each side of the room. The sound of stone scraping against stone grated on his ears as the lids of the caskets were lifted off one by one. Byleth ordered Ashe, Caspar, and Leonie to one end, and Ingrid, Annette, and Mercedes to the other before she lifted her hand and cast Bolganone spells on each side of the room. It took out several of the would-be grave robbers, and the small groups charged forward to take out the rest. 

Massive beams of pink light appeared in front of them and Sylvain’s eyes widened as two demonic beasts appeared right in front of them. Felix growled, “Shit!” He ran forward with his sword, taking out a soldier as Byleth unfurled the Sword of the Creator. 

She called, “Step back!” Sylvain and Felix stepped out of the way as she twirled the Sword of the Creator above her head. The demonic beasts, attracted by her yell, charged forward with deafening roars the seemed to shake the stone floor beneath them. Byleth let out a battle cry and the Sword of the Creator seemed to glow even more, red-orange light streaking through the air as it cut into the beasts. They beasts roared in pain as Byleth brought her sword back to its original form.

Sylvain charged forward and struck at the wounded neck of one of the beasts. The air filled with the sound of glass breaking as the magical barrier around the beast crumpled. Felix was by his side in an instant, silver sword plunging into the side of the beast. It reared its head back with a roar and Byleth yelled, “Be ready for fire attacks! Keep moving!”

Without hesitation they both jumped out of the way as fire spewed out onto the enemy soldiers. These beasts knew nothing of sides, nothing of enemy or ally. All they did was attack. _Who would use such tactics? Who would turn their own soldiers into hideous monsters?_ Byleth charged forward and cut the head of one of the demonic beasts from its shoulders. The beheaded and disfigured soldier left in its wake caused bile to rise in his throat, but there was no time for that right now.

When the demonic beasts were taken care of, and with only a few soldiers remaining, the Flame Emperor stepped into the fray. As Dimitri charged toward them, he became distracted by the other enemy general. Sylvain could hear the enemy scream in agony as Dimitri jabbed his lance into his torso. “Please! I was just following orders! Gahhh!” Dimitri kicked the not quite dead man off of his lance, and Dedue finished him off before following his liege.

Byleth was battling the Flame Emperor, and Felix was just ahead of him, trying to reach her side. Byleth swung the Sword of the Creator, but the Flame Emperor blocked it with their shield. The clang of the sword on heavy metal was almost painful as Sylvain watched them dance around each other. Ashe cried out, and Byleth was momentarily distracted as her eyes panned to him. Caspar was already taking out the enemy, Linhardt close behind to patch up Ashe’s bleeding leg, but it had been the moment the Flame Emperor needed.

The Flame Emperor’s axe swung down in a powerful overhead swing. Byleth attempted to jump backward and get out of the way, but wasn’t quite fast enough. The axe sliced through the strap of her dress and into the flesh of her shoulder and she hissed at the pain. A fireball launched from Byleth’s hand, which was deflected by the Flame Emperor’s shield. 

Felix cast a weak thunder spell, but it missed the Flame Emperor. Sylvain heard him curse under his breath before charging with Byleth’s sword held high. The Flame Emperor drove them off with wide sweeps of their axe as Felix and Byleth danced out of the way. White light illuminated around Byleth’s shoulder, and Sylvain noticed Mercedes casting Physic nearby.

Dimitri charged toward the Flame Emperor screaming, “So you want to turn your eyes away from those who lost their lives in Duscur?! The lives of those you trampled?!”

Soldiers rushed Dimitri before he could reach the Flame Emperor. He and Dedue continued to fight, until it happened. In a flash, Byleth got close enough to stab the Sword of the Creator into the Flame Emperor’s torso. The Flame Emperor whispered, “You were the one person I wished to never make an enemy of.” Then, they reached up and slipped off their mask.

Byleth’s green eyes widened as she stumbled back into Felix. Edelgard’s lavender colored eyes were narrowed as she clutched her side. She stumbled back as soldiers rushed up to guard her.

Whispers sounded out behind him, but Sylvain could only watch as Dimitri took out the last soldier that had come after him, and then glanced over at the Flame Emperor. No… he glanced over at Edelgard.

Dimitri hunched over, his blonde hair covering his face as his body began to tremble.

And then… Dimitri snapped.

~Felix~

An evil laugh echoed as Dimitri straightened, and Felix’s body froze. Suddenly, he was no longer in the Holy Tomb. The edges of his vision blurred, and when Felix blinked it away, he was standing in a field. The same battlefield he had been standing in almost three years ago. He watched as Dima… 

No. It was no longer his Dima. 

He watched as the boar in Dima’s skin tore through the weakened rebellion’s militia. He watched as skulls were smashed, and blood splattered across the boar’s laughing face. He watched as the boar smiled, enjoying the screams of his victims as he ripped them to shreds. 

He was vaguely aware that he had dropped his sword, and he heard someone shouting, but it was like his head was underwater. All other sounds were muffled, all he could hear was the sounds of the boar enjoying its kill. He watched as they fell, one by one. The boar threw his lance like a javelin, and then fought with his bare hands. His inhuman strength was too much for any of them to stand against. Crushed skulls, broken necks, bones crunching--

Someone shook his shoulders and Felix was thrown back into reality. Sylvain’s concerned face filled his vision and he realized he was trembling. 

The boar’s deep voice echoed through Felix’s body, and he glanced to the side to see Dimitri towering over Edelgard. She was injured and laying on the ground. Her face was resolute, even in the wake of the boar’s madness. “Before I break you neck, there is one thing I must ask you.”

Edelgard’s voice was calm as she said, “Stay out of my way.”

The boar laughed again, and Felix felt a shiver down his spine. “I don’t recall giving you permission to speak. Answer my question. That is all you have left to do.”

Byleth stepped up and put a hand on the boar’s shoulder. She whispered, “Dima…” But he shoved her away, causing her to stumble backward into Dedue. Dedue latched onto her arms, and held her tight when she tried to put away. “Dedue! We have to stop him.”

The lapdog’s voice was a low rumble as he said, “His Highness desires revenge. You must not get in his way.”

Felix bent down and picked up his sword.

“Flame Emperor… no, Edelgard. Tell me now. Why did you cause such a tragedy?” Edelgard’s eyes narrowed as she inched herself away from the mad boar. “You killed your own mother, and yet you haven’t even had the decency to stop and consider the reasons behind your actions. Have you?!” It was fitting, the fact that the boar’s voice was now more of an animalistic roar.

Edelgard shook her head, her voice wavering only slightly as she responded, “I already told you. I had nothing to do with that.”

The boar laughed, a harsh bark that shook his shoulders as he threw back his head. “It was foolish to think I could reason with a lowly beast.”

Byleth tried calling out to the beast again. “Dima! She needs to be taken into custody. Let the knights deal with her!” Byleth pulled against the lapdog’s arm, and his knuckles were white as he held her in place. She glanced back with a look of rage and betrayal, and the lapdog averted his eyes.

Felix stepped forward, sword in hand, and pointed it at Dedue’s throat. “Let her go, Lapdog. I won’t hesitate to run you through.” The lapdog glared at him, before his grip loosened and Byleth ran toward the boar.

She was too late. Soldiers rushed forward screaming, “Your Majesty! Now!” In a flash of pink light, Hubert appeared with an evil smirk on his face. He launched a ball of dark magic, and it hit the boar square in the chest. The beast let out a howl of pain as he was blown back.

Dedue screamed, “Your Highness!” He ignored Felix’s sword, charging forward with his axe raised. Byleth was already kneeling at the boar’s side, hands glowing with healing magic.

Edelgard’s voice was almost pleading as she said, “Come with me, my teacher. Rhea must not be allowed to continue her mad regime. We can stop her, together."

Byleth glanced up, pain and anger shown in equal measures as she cried out, “You are working with them. The people who killed my father! The people who caused the Tragedy of Duscur! How could you?!” 

Edelgard’s eyes were sad, but Hubert chuckled darkly and said, “The wrong decision. I shall see you soon, Professor. I will take care of you, then.”

Edelgard swung her hand out in front of Hubert. “Come, Hubert.” In a flash of pink light, they were gone.

The Archbishop strode forward, her voice full of open fury as she screamed, “To flee is futile, wicked girl. The Church of Seiros will raise its entire army against you until you have been captured and punished! You have defiled the Holy Tomb, dishonored the goddess, and humiliated your brethren. That crime will never be erased, even if you burn in the eternal flames and spill all of your blood into the goddess’s soil.”

The boar stirred, and Byleth held him down as he tried to sit up, her hands were still glowing with healing magic as she patched up the boar. The archbishop was already walking toward the chamber to leave. She called over her shoulder, “Come, Byleth. Let us return and decide upon our next course of action.”

Byleth answered, “In a moment!” The boar groaned, a hand reaching up to press against the newly healed flesh on his chest. Byleth whispered, “Are you okay?”

The boar bowed his head and muttered, “We weren’t able to defeat her.” The boar’s lapdog reached his other side and helped him stand. The boar leaned on him as he ranted, “I will kill Edelgard with my own hands. I swear it!” 

Sylvain was in front of Felix again, eyebrows furrowed in concern as his hands rested on his upper arms. “Fe? Are you okay? What happened back there?”

Felix couldn’t even look into his eyes. He turned his head and muttered, “So… he’s finally shown his true face. The same Dimitri I’ve seen once before—a beast who loves spilling blood.” He looked at the carnage the boar had left in his wake and he clenched his fists to keep his hands from shaking.

Ingrid’s scared voice sounded out behind him. “You’re wrong! There has to be an explanation…”

Sylvain’s voice was soft as he said, “I knew he’d been carrying the burden of that tragedy. I understand his thirst for revenge. His family and closest friends… all massacred right in front of him. If it were you…” Felix glanced up at the dark look on Sylvain’s face before turning away again. Sylvain’s hold on his arms slacked before he added, “But… it still doesn’t add up. There must be more that we don’t know.”

Mercedes stepped up, nodding her head slowly. “That’s true. Dimitri didn’t come unhinged until after the Flame Emperor was unmasked…” 

Ashe’s voice wavered as he held Annette to his side. “You don’t think… there’s some connection between those two… do you?”

“Lions.” Byleth’s voice cut through their conversation and they all turned to her. “Let’s get out of here.” She nodded her head and waved toward the chamber.

The scene at the monastery was grim. Dead knights were scattered around the courtyard, and Rhea stepped over their bodies to reach the gate. Her face was neutral, but some of her prior rage burned in her eyes as Catherine approached.

Thunderbrand’s wielder sighed in relief before saying, “Lady Rhea! Thank the goddess you are alright.”

“What happened, Catherine?” Byleth’s face was back to stone neutrality as she faced the Holy Knight.

“Imperial soldiers were in the monastery disguised as merchants and peasants. There was a sudden attack, and we were woefully unprepared.” Catherine’s face was full of shame as she glanced at her fallen comrades.

The Archbishop’s tone was ice as she said, “That wicked girl will pay for this. She must not be allowed to live after defiling the Holy Tomb. She must not be allowed to live if she would raise a weapon against the goddess herself!” She turned to Byleth and said, “Come. We need to gather everyone and discuss our next steps.” 

“I need to change. I’ll meet you in the Audience Chamber.” Lady Rhea nodded curtly and walked away with Catherine right behind her.

Byleth turned to them and her mask cracked. A frown pulled at her lips as she stared at her confused students. “Go and get cleaned up. I don’t know how long I will be occupied, but I will gather you all to fill you in as soon as I can.” She walked over and grabbed the boar’s arm, and glared at the lapdog before dragging them both away.

Sylvain’s hand rested on his arm again. “Are you alright, Fe?”

Felix watched Byleth’s back as she walked away. He shrugged Sylvain’s hand off and through gritted teeth he said, “I’m fine.”


	58. Chapter 58

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here. Have a monster chapter for your Thursday.

~Byleth~

She dragged Dimitri and Dedue up to Dimitri’s room and slammed the door behind them. Dimitri was already pacing the room like some sort of a caged animal. His eyes were wild and he muttered things under his breath that Byleth couldn’t make out. Dedue wouldn’t meet her eyes, and she couldn’t contain the anger and hurt she felt due to her stoic lion cub’s actions. _To try and hold me back like that… his only loyalty is to Dimitri, but Dimitri isn’t even himself right now. I thought we had more of a bond than that._

“Dima.” He didn’t respond to her voice. He continued to whisper and clench his fists over and over. She could hear the squeak of his gauntlets as his strength started to crack them. “Dima! Look at me!” He whipped toward her, eyes narrowed and nostrils flared. “Are you alright?”

He laughed, so similarly to the laugh in the Holy Tomb that it had the hair on her arms standing on end as she put an instinctual hand on her sword. “The vile girl has revealed herself. My father, stepmother, Glenn… they demand her head! And they will have it. I have promised it to them. I just have to find her.”

“Dima… she’s your step-sister, your childhood friend! I’m not saying she doesn’t need to be stopped, but she said she wasn’t responsible for Duscur.”

Dimitri stepped toward her with his fist raised and Dedue stepped in front of her. “Your Highness. What would you have me do?”

Dimitri ignored him. Through gritted teeth he hissed, “You would do well not to bring her up in my presence. That vile girl is no longer my family… she killed her own mother. If you insist that she is innocent, then you are a fool. She has deceived you, just as she deceived the others.”

There was no fondness left in Dimitri’s blue eyes. All she saw was rage and pure unadulterated fury. She feared the darkness wouldn’t leave his eyes, no matter what she said or did. “Dima…”

“Leave my presence, Professor.”

“Dima, please. It’s me… talk to me.”

He roared, “Leave me!”

Dedue, still standing between her and Dimitri, stepped back until they reached the door. He reached his hand around and opened it, before pushing her out. “Dedue… how…” She sighed as tears rimmed her eyes. He kept his head down. “How could you? He’s not himself. You can’t just—”

Without looking at her he whispered, “His Highness has my loyalty. If Edelgard’s head is what he desires, I will not let anyone stand in his way. Even you, Professor.”

“Revenge won’t fix things, Dedue. It won’t help him.” Dedue turned away from her and closed the door.

 _I’m losing both of them._ She stared at the door for a moment while her hands shook at her sides. What am I supposed to do? What can I do? She sighed and pulled the circlet off her head before running a shaking hand through her hair. _I have to go. I have to meet with Rhea._

After throwing on some different clothes, she ran to the second floor. She entered the Audience Chamber and was pointed in the direction of the Cardinal’s Room for the impromptu war meeting. A shiver ran down her spine. _That’s exactly what this is. War… here in Fodlan. What is Edelgard thinking? How could she do this to all of us?_

When she entered the room, it immediately quieted as high-ranking knights and church officials turned to her. The emotions on their faces ranged from awe, desperation, fear, and confusion. There were also a few who looked like they didn’t understand why she was here, and honestly, she felt the same. She made sure to keep her face impassive, even though it now took work to channel the Ashen Demon persona she was known for not so long ago.

Rhea stood from her seat at the head of the table and every head turned back to her. “We have received declaration of war, from the Adrestian Empire. They have pointed their weapons at the heavens, at the goddess herself, and it cannot stand. That...” she pounded her fist into the table and everyone startled “… vile girl cannot continue to sully the name of the goddess and her Holy Church. Adrestia received its very name from a divine oracle. To injure the goddess is a sin most foul which shall not be forgiven, nor forgotten. We must stop the Empire, and quickly.”

Seteth cleared his throat and stood, putting a light hand on Rhea’s shoulder. “Let’s recount the situation as it stands. There was an open attack here at the monastery by the Imperial Army. We are still receiving reports on the dead and the injured. They ransacked the Holy Tomb, attempting to steal holy artifacts. And now, the Adrestian Empire has declared war on the Church of Seiros, as well as our allies.”

Byleth’s voice rang out over the murmurs of those at the table. “Edelgard had the power to declare war?”

Seteth nodded, his mouth set in a thin line. “Edelgard demanded her own father relinquish the throne, and then assumed the position of emperor. She has deemed the Church of Seiros to be an evil of this world, and is calling upon to people of Fodlan to help her tear it down.”

“When did she have time to do all of this?”

Manuela cleared her throat, and her voice was strained and weak as she said, “Edelgard and Hubert approached me two weeks ago and said they needed to travel back to Enbarr. They said something urgent had come up, and they needed to be away from the monastery for a while.” Her face was pale and her hands trembled on the table until she dropped them into her lap. “I’m so sorry, if I had known…”

“No one blames you, Manuela.” Byleth shook her head at the terrified woman. Manuela gave a weak smile, but bowed her head to avoid the stares of everyone else in the room.

Gilbert cleared his throat heavily and said, “Do we know if any of the other Black Eagle students are involved?” Byleth gritted her teeth and clenched her fists behind her back. “One of them was responsible for the death of the Captain, how do we know the others aren’t aiding the Emperor?”

Rhea’s eyes narrowed, and there was a glint of fury in her eyes. “They must be dealt with swiftly. Take them into custody—”

“Lady Rhea, if I may…” Byleth stood from her seat, her pulse racing as everyone stared at her. She couldn’t stand by and watch as any of the students were treated as war criminals. Especially not with Caspar and Linhardt. They may have started the year as Eagles, but they were hers now. 

Rhea’s eyes softened only slightly as she nodded for Byleth to continue. “Let me handle the Black Eagle students. I have had two in my class for the last couple months, and I have a rapport with the others.”

Seteth nodded and cleared his throat. “Yes. I believe Professor Byleth is the perfect person for this, Lady Rhea.”

Gilbert shook his head and said, “What if they were involved in this?”

Byleth tried to keep her face neutral. “They are children, Sir Gilbert. I know for a fact that Caspar and Linhardt knew nothing of what was happening. They were just as shocked and hurt as the rest of my Lions when the Imperial Army invaded the Holy Tomb. I am willing to bet that the rest of them were just as surprised.”

A knight she didn’t know hesitantly said, “But aren’t their parents high ranking officials within the Empire? We would be helping our enemy’s children.”

Lady Rhea nodded, that dark look in her eye returning, and Seteth made eye contact with Byleth. He stared at her as he said, “They deserve to make their own decision. They personally have done nothing wrong. We must do what is right as the moral authority in this war.” Gratitude filled her heart as she nodded to Seteth. She had at least one ally in keeping the students safe. She prayed it would be enough.

Lady Rhea turned to look at her. “You are the goddess’ vessel. Do what you think is right.” Byleth bit the inside of her lip and the taste of iron filled her mouth. Seteth’s shoulders went rigid, but his face stayed neutral as Byleth looked between them. She wasn’t going to argue with Rhea if it meant that she was going to spare the children. It felt so wrong to use Sothis’ influence this way, but she needed to keep her students safe.

Seteth asked, “Should we send the rest of the students back to their territories? The knights are scouting to see how long we have before the Empire attacks and—”

“They must stay and aid the Church in our fight against evil.” Rhea shook her head, clasping her hands in front of her chest. “It is the duty of all followers of the goddess to defend her Holy Church.”

“Lady Rhea, please. We have the future rulers of the Kingdom and Alliance attending the Officer’s Academy, not to mention many other heirs from powerful households.” Seteth’s voice was stern, but still somehow pleading. 

Byleth supplied, “What if we gave them the choice?” She prayed the students would flee, but she needed a way to appease Rhea. “I’m sure some of those from noble households will be called back by their parents. We cannot deny them their children, it would only cause more hearts to turn from the Church.”

Rhea sighed, resignation in the set of her shoulders as she nodded. “As you wish. You have the protection of the goddess on your side. Please listen carefully for her voice…” She waved her hand. “You are all dismissed until we receive word from the knights about the Imperial Army’s position.” 

Byleth practically fled the room, weariness settling on her shoulders like a physical weight, as she walked toward the dorms. She needed to get to the Eagles before anyone else could, and she needed to plead with her students to flee. War was coming, and even with all the power she possessed, she could do nothing to stop this. They were not hardened mercenaries, they were not soldiers, they were children. They were her family, she had to keep them safe.

_Sothis… I wish you were here right now…_

She knocked on Linhardt’s door first and received no answer. She opened the door, thinking that he might be asleep, but she found it empty. She ran down the stairs, in the direction of the second-floor dormitories, but stopped when she noticed Dorothea had candlelight spilling from the room and the door was slightly ajar.

She knocked softly, and the action opened the door a little. Inside she saw all of the Black Eagles students, including Caspar and Linhardt. Dorothea was holding a shaking Petra in her arms, as Bernadetta nervously stroked a very stressed looking Ferdinand’s back. At her knock, all eyes turned to her. 

Dorothea’s eyes were like steel as she said, “Are you here to take us into custody, Professor?” She stood and placed herself in front of her classmates, like she could shield them from Byleth if she needed to.

She shook her head rapidly. “No, of course not. I—” Dorothea held up an envelope with a red seal. Edelgard’s seal. As she glanced around, the others did the same. “Oh.” The one word response left her in an exhale as she stared at her students. _Of course, Edelgard would try to have her friends on her side. They all look so scared and confused. They didn’t even know this was going to happen, and now they have to pick a side in this damned war._

Noticing she hadn’t moved to seize them, Dorothea seemed to deflate as she sat back down on her bed near Petra. “Edelgard became emperor and raised an army, huh? Who knew she had it in her?” Dorothea’s voice was weary as her head sunk to Petra’s shoulder. “I mean, yeah, of course, I knew she’d be emperor eventually, but…” 

“S-She’s asking us to join her, Professor.” Bernadetta stood quickly and ran toward her. She whimpered and Byleth opened her arms for the now crying girl. “I-I don’t want to fight. I don’t want a war. I don’t want any of this! Why does she even want this?!” Tears flowed down the girl’s cheeks as Byleth pulled her to her chest.

“I don’t know, Bernadetta. She seems to think force is the only way.” Byleth stroked her messy purple hair as she trembled.

Bernadetta cried, “Why would she think that?!” Byleth quietly hushed her and continued stroking the poor girl’s hair, trying to calm her as best she could.

Linhardt raised his head, and she realized how serious he looked. It was so foreign on the normally sleepy mage’s face. “The most important nobles in the Empire are known for taking power from the previous Emperor, my father included. I didn’t think it possible that the Imperial princess could ascend the throne so easily. However, it seems that both my father and Caspar’s are supporting Edelgard… Having both the Minister of Domestic Affairs and Minister of Military Affairs on your side gives you total control over the Empire’s military and finances. They must have been making preparations for quite some time without anyone else noticing…”

Dorothea let out a broken sounding chuckle. “The more I think about it, the more surprised I am.” She looked up at Byleth and whispered, “I wonder who’s gonna win…”

Byleth gently asked, “Us or her, you mean?” 

The others in the room tensed as Dorothea shook her head. “But would it really be OK for Edelgard to win?”

Byleth sighed, and handed a whimpering Bernadetta off to Dorothea. She stood in the center of the room and glanced around at the students. “I cannot make this decision for you, and I am deeply sorry you have to make it.” 

She folded her hands behind her back and evenly said, “I need to know whether you will be going back to the Empire, or if you need a place to go. I know Edelgard was your friend, and I know that the Empire holds most of your families. I want each of you to do what you think is right.”

Petra raised her head and Byleth realized she had been crying. “Edelgard is suggesting…” 

Dorothea hissed, “I think you mean threatening…”

Petra shook her head and sighed heavily. “Edelgard is suggesting that I be joining to her side. She is telling me that the safety of Brigid depends on my decision. I am owing big debts to Duke Gerth of the Empire. He is the Minister of Affairs that are Foreign. He is a friend of Edelgard. He is to her side. What should I be doing?”

 _Oh goddess… the weight of her entire people is on her shoulders._ “Do you want to stay? Or do you want to go home?” 

Petra’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Home?”

Byleth nodded. “Back to Brigid. I can order some of my men to escort you to try and find passage to Brigid. I can’t guarantee the safety of your people, but Edelgard will have her hands full waging war on all of Fodlan. If we can get you home…” She shrugged and Petra’s eyes widened. 

“You would have willingness to do that for me?”

“Of course, Petra.” She looked around at all of the students, each of them met her eyes except for Ferdinand. “I consider all of you to be my students. You may not have been in my class, but I still care for each of you. I will arrange for a place where you can stay if you do not wish to join Edelgard.”

“I-I don’t want to fight, Professor… but I don’t want to go home… my father he…” Bernadetta’s voice wavered and Dorothea hugged her tighter.

“I’ll find a place for you, then.” Byleth nodded, already considering her options.

“I’ll stay with you, Bernie. I have no desire to fight in this awful war. Edie… she’s started something terrible.” Dorothea shook her head and placed it on Bernadetta’s.

Caspar chuckled nervously. “I don’t normally have a problem jumping into a fight, but it feels strange going up against my father. We aren’t especially close, but he’s not an opponent I’d want to face. I’d almost rather fight a monster!”

“Will you go home then?” Her heart sank, but she kept her face neutral. The thought of fighting any of her students…

“Come now, Caspar. You aren’t going to join them purely because you do not wish to fight against your father, are you?” Linhardt shook his head and straightened. “I, for one, do not care what my father does. I will be following the Professor. I do not wish to fight, but there may be other ways I can be of use. And you did say I could study your Crest after graduation. I can’t do that if I’m on the other side of this awful war.” He smirked, ever so slightly, and she felt her unbeating heart soar.

“You’re right, Lin.” Caspar nodded and pumped his fist. “I’m with you, Professor!”

Ferdinand cleared his throat, and when she glanced over, he finally met her gaze for the first time since she had entered the room. “Half of the Empire’s six great noble families have declared their support for Edelgard. Of the other three, Lord Vestra was assassinated. Hubert, his son, will succeed him.” How unsurprising. Ferdinand continued, “Bernadetta’s father, Count Varley, is under house arrest. His wife is now supporting Edelgard.” 

Ferdinand swallowed heavily and his voice wavered slightly as he said, “And my father… he was stripped of his role as Prime Minister. As a result, House Aegir has lost all of its power, all of its lands. We have lost everything. I… I… What do I do?” His eyes were pleading, and her chest ached for him. Ferdinand was a good person, if a somewhat pompous one, but that was just due to how he was raised. Nobility was everything to him, and it had all been taking from him in a day.

She kept her voice steady as she said, “What do you want to do?”

He shook his head vigorously and placed a hand to his forehead. “I used to feel that it was my duty to advise Edelgard when she was wrong. She is most certainly wrong in this. No matter her goals, the bloodshed of the innocent common folk is not a worthy price. If she can be persuaded…”

Dorothea shook her head. “She can’t be, Ferdie. War isn’t a decision you make lightly. Edie has been planning this for years, right under our noses. She and Hubie have picked their course, it’s time for you to pick yours.”

Ferdinand sighed heavily and bowed his head. “But if there's a chance!" He groaned in frustration and shook his head. "I must take time to ponder this. My decision will affect the future of house Aegir.”

Dorothea laughed dryly. “Ferdie… You must be joking! How can you think about that in a time like this? She’s threatening Petra and her people! It’s not right! None of this is!”

The ginger noble sunk into himself, staring down at his gloved fingers instead of at any of them. Byleth walked over and placed a hand on Ferdinand’s shoulder, causing him to look up at her. “I know you are trying to do what you think is right. Let me know what you decide, and I will try to help you as much as I can.” She paused and looked into his warm brown eyes. “I want you to know that… I never wish to fight you or any of my students. But I, too, will do what must be done.”

The boy stared down at his lap, and she stepped away from him and back to the center of the room. “Petra?” She turned to the foreign princess. Her eyebrows were furrowed with concern as she fiddled with the end of her braid.

She whispered, “I must be doing more thinking, Professor.”

Byleth nodded. “Of course. I don’t know how long it will be before Edelgard attacks the monastery. I will keep you all updated. I will speak with my men and my students to figure out a place where all of you can go, just in case.”

~Felix~

It was the middle of the night, and they had all been gathered into the Blue Lion’s classroom. No one had done any sleeping anyway, what with the fact that the world was falling down around them. Everyone knew what the Imperial Army attacking the Holy Tomb meant. It meant war was coming, and it was coming for all of them.

Byleth walked into the room, closely followed by Caspar and Linhardt. She tried to keep her normal neutrality as she faced all of them, but she couldn’t fool him. She looked like the weight of the world was on her shoulders, and something about that made his chest hurt.

She crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked at each of them. “Emperor Edelgard von Hresvelg has declared war against the Church of Seiros and its allies.” Murmurs started throughout the room, but Byleth continued. “Scouting parties have been dispatched to determine the Imperial Army’s position, but we expect that an attack on the monastery is imminent.” 

Sylvain sighed heavily and put a hand to his head. “We knew this day would come, sooner or later.”

Annette was tucked into Ashe’s side as Mercedes rubbed her back. She cried, “What’s going to happen?!”

Byleth’s face softened slightly as she took in all of their faces. “I want to tell you everything will be alright, but I don’t want to lie to you.”

Ingrid stood and slammed a hand on the desk in front of her. “We cannot afford to be optimistic. It is entirely possible the Kingdom will be invaded.”

Sylvain shook his head. “Settle yourself, Ingrid. We need to carefully consider our options.”

Ashe’s voice wavered as he said, “We can’t just act rashly, that will only make things worse.” He turned to Byleth with wide eyes and asked, “What’s going to happen to us?”

The lapdog shook his head from his position near the boar prince. “Once we have ascertained the situation, we must return to Fhirdiad.” He turned to face the boar. “Your Highness...”

“I will have that girl’s head. I swear it.” The room went quiet as the boar stood and faced the Professor. “If that… vile woman… thinks she can take the monastery, she is mistaken. I will be here to take my revenge.”

Byleth whispered, “Dima… please…”

The boar turned on his heel and stomped out of the room. His lapdog bowed slightly to Byleth before chasing out after him. Byleth ran a hand down her face and looked outwardly weary. “I think you should all return to your territories. The knights will defend the monastery, but…” She looked off to the side. “I don’t like their chances.”

“How can you say that, Professor!” Ingrid stood and threw her hands in the air. “You are the one that is blessed by the goddess. Surely you realize this is why you were blessed with such power.”

Byleth jaw tightened and she clasped her hands behind her back. She nodded and said, “And that is why I will be staying at the monastery. I cannot leave with you.”

“What?!” Sylvain stood from his seat, any sense of calm he had left was gone. “You just said that you don’t like the knights’ chances and you are staying?”

Felix felt his heart racing in his chest, but he tried to keep his voice stern as he said, “You’re foolish if you think we’re just going to leave you here.” She turned to look at him with a sad look on her face.

“I don’t wish to fight, but Felix is right. We’ll stay by your side, Professor, no matter what.” Mercedes smiled softly and Byleth started to shake her head.

“Yeah! We have to do what’s right!” Annette’s face was determined as she pumped her fist.

Ingrid nodded. “This war will likely make its way to the Kingdom, either way. We must stay and defend the monastery. We must stay by your side. You are our leader, Professor, as well as His Highness.”

Felix scoffed and rolled his eyes. “After everything we saw today, you still think you have a prince in that boar?”

“Felix!” Ingrid punched his shoulder and he cut her with a glare. “He is the Prince of Faerghus. No matter your feelings toward him, he is our only hope when it comes to facing Edelgard.”

“No, Byleth is.” Byleth tensed, the corners of her eyes tightening and her shoulders stiffening. Meanwhile, Ingrid seemed to deflate and sat heavily back into her seat with a sigh. “The boar has gone mad. All he wants is revenge. He doesn’t care about ending a war. All he cares about is having Edelgard’s head. If we have any hope in getting out of this alive, it’s with Byleth.”

Linhardt sighed and leaned his head into his hand. “I’m inclined to agree… not that I really have anything against your Prince. She has led us through everything this year, and none of us have died yet.”

Leonie smiled and pumped her fist in the air. “Captain Jeralt taught you well, Professor. If anyone can get us through this, it’s you.” 

Byleth nodded slowly, resignation crossed her features as she sighed. “If you are sure…” She paused and looked at each of them. “You are no longer students. Consider this your graduation. From now on, you are all soldiers.” The corner of her mouth tilted down into a frown. “I will prepare you all as best I can. For now, go and get some sleep. Training will resume early tomorrow. There is no time to waste.”

Everyone else filed out of the room, but he and Sylvain stayed behind. As soon as the door shut behind the last person, Sylvain rushed around the desk to Byleth’s side. “By… what can we do?”

“We have to prepare for whatever happens…” Byleth paused, still looking down at the ground in thought. “… including the fall of the monastery. I’ve spoken with the Black Eagles students. Petra and Ferdinand are the only ones still deciding what they will do. Edelgard is threatening Brigid if Petra doesn’t comply, and Ferdinand is… scared.” She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. 

Felix walked up to stand near Sylvain. He crossed his arms and asked, “What can we do to help?” 

She looked up and each of them and hesitantly asked, “Do you think your fathers would be able to house anyone who doesn’t have a place to go? I’m worried about the Black Eagles students, as well as Ashe. And I’ll need to send some of my men to get Ashe’s siblings so he’s not worried about them. We don't know how fast the war is going to spread.”

Felix grimaced, but nodded. “I’ll write the old man a letter tonight.”

Sylvian nodded. “Me too. Ashe already has a place in Gautier, his siblings as well." He chuckled slightly and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sure my father is beside himself right now. I’m actually kind of worried about him. How weird.”

Byleth put a hand on Sylvain’s forearm and he looked down at her. “Thank you, both of you. I have tried to talk to Dimitri, but I don’t think I’ll be able to sway him. We’ll have to give this everything we’ve got.” She paused and looked at each of them. “If something happens to me, I need you two to look after the rest of the Lions.”

Sylvain shook his head. “Nothing is going to happen to you, By.”

Byleth shook her head and took a hand from each of them. “I’ll fight to my last breath to make sure all of you are safe. I don’t plan on dying, but I need you to promise me just in case. My students… you two… you are my family. I couldn’t bear it if something were to happen to you.”

Felix scoffed as anger and worry mingled in a knot in his stomach. “And we won’t be able to bear it if something happens to you, idiot. Stop talking like that. You can’t die.”

“He’s right, By. We’re going to make it through this, and then we’re going to go up to the Kingdom and figure out where to go from there.”

She didn’t say anything, she just looked at the door where the other Blue Lions had left. “Contingency plans. We need them, lots of them.” She dropped their hands and walked around her desk, sat down, and pulled out a quill and parchment. She began writing vigorously as they stood there and stared at her.

“We’ll need supplies for all of us to travel into Kingdom territory, just in case the monastery falls. I’ll find a village close to the monastery and have some of my men wait… we’ll need bedrolls and…” she tapped the quill to her chin and wrote some more. She mumbled under her breath, and Felix leaned forward to try and understand what she was saying.

Sylvain leaned over the desk and tried to get her attention. “By, it’s the middle of the night. You should rest.”

She didn’t even glance up, she just continued writing as Felix walked around the desk to look over her shoulder. She murmured, “There’s no time for that.” She was listing out names of students and what each of their needs were if they needed to travel to their territories. The second parchment was a list of what they needed for battle. A third was added to the pile, and she started listing the skills they would need to learn, already trying to write out a lesson plan just like all of her others. “I’ll need to talk to Manuela and the Eagles… maybe they will fight with us…”

Felix put his hand over the parchment. “Byleth. You need rest.”

Her head slowly rose to look at him. “You just said that I’m your only hope of getting out alive.” Her green eyes stared into his as she tilted her head. 

He put a hand to his forehead with a groan. “Yes… but…”

She shook her head and looked back at her papers, already writing more notes as she said, “Then I need to do this. All of you need me. I’ll rest later.” 

Sylvain walked around and stood behind him. “He wasn’t saying this entire thing is your responsibility, By.”

She shook her head and waved her free hand toward the classroom doors. “I don’t have time to discuss this any further. Please go to your dorms, it’s past curfew.” She still wasn’t looking at them. The sound of her quill scratching against the paper was all he heard as he and Sylvain stood above her.

Sylvain sighed and put a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go write those letters to our fathers.” He tried to shrug Sylvain off, but he persisted.

When they exited the classroom, Felix sighed. “I didn’t mean to…” He groaned and put a hand to his head. _I’m an idiot._

Sylvain put an arm around his shoulders and said, “It wasn’t you. She was already in planning mode when she walked in the door.” He sighed in frustration and ran his free hand through his hair. “War, huh? Who would’ve thought this was how this year was going to end? It makes me feel selfish for dreading what was coming before all of this started. I’d give up everything if it meant we didn’t have to go to war.”

Felix sighed and glanced back in the direction of the classroom. “She’s going to work herself to the bone over this.” 

Sylvain nodded and stayed quiet for a while as they walked. Candlelight spilled from under a lot of the rooms as they passed the dorms. A lot of students sat outside on the stairs, or talked in doorways. The air was thick with everyone’s anxiety over what was coming. 

As they reached Felix’s room, Sylvain muttered, “Let’s write those letters, get support from our fathers, and then go from there. Maybe once we have plans in motion, she’ll be able to rest.” Sylvain let out a dry chuckle. “Though, if I’m being honest… I don’t think I’ll be able to rest.”

Felix nodded with his hand resting on the doorknob. “I know.” He pushed into the dark room, and after shutting the door, sank down against it. 

All his mind could think was… War.

~Byleth~

(The next morning)

“Oh Professor… did you sleep in here all night?” She blinked her eyes open and looked up at a frowning Dorothea. She was wringing her hands, and shifting her weight from side to side nervously.

Byleth sat up with a slight groan and asked, “What’s wrong Dorothea?”

Dorothea’s eyes filled with tears before she bowed her head and whispered, “Petra and Ferdie… they’re gone.”

She stood from her seat and hurried around her desk to stand in front of Dorothea. “They’re what?”

Dorothea shook her head. “They must have left some time last night. Their things are gone. They didn't even leave a note.” Byleth ran a hand through her hair and sighed. “What are we going to do? What if we have to fight them, Professor?”

She pulled the brunette into a hug as she cried into her shoulder. She stroked her back and shook her head slightly. “We’ll do whatever we have to… I’m so sorry Dorothea.”

….

(One week later)

“Teach?” She blinked open her eyes and immediately noticed how sore her neck was. With a groan, she sat up and started to massage the kink in her neck and shoulders. _Great… I fell asleep in the classroom again. Felix is going to kill me if he finds out._

Spread out before her was a giant map of the monastery and its defenses. She had pushed some of the desks together so she could look everything over, trying her best to plan out a few different strategies. They still didn’t know how much of Edelgard’s forces would be marching on the monastery, she just wanted to have as many strategies prepared as possible. They were expecting a report any day now and…

“Teach. You’ve gotta stop doing this. It’s not good for you.” Claude’s worried green eyes snapped her out of her thought process. 

“There’s so much to do, so many strategies. If I can find the right one, then maybe I can keep everyone safe.” She sighed and slouched back against the chair.

Claude glanced over her map, calculating eyes taking in the formations she had set up last night. Parchment was laid everywhere with notes and supplies that would be necessary. “Well, Teach. I thought you would be interested to know that Shamir just returned. I looked in your room first but—”

She was out of her seat and heading toward the door before he could finish his sentence. “Teach! Wait up!” He ran and caught up to her, walking in a brisk pace by her side.

“She’s probably already in with Rhea. If we know what’s coming, it will help with planning.”

“I understand that, Teach, but when was the last time you’ve eaten? When was the last time you’ve slept in your bed instead of hunched over your desk? We need you in fighting shape when Edelgard comes. Your health is important too.”

“I train all day with the rest of you, Claude. I’ll be ready.”

Claude sighed as she ran up the stairs to the second floor. “Alright… I guess I’ll see you later then…” echoed up the stairway behind her.

The knights stationed in front of the Audience Chamber bowed slightly and opened the door for her. She could already hear Shamir’s alto voice giving the report before she was cut off by Byleth’s entrance.

Rhea called, “Ah, Byleth. I’m glad you’ve come. Shamir was just giving us a report on the Empire’s movements.”

Shamir gave her a nod before continuing. “The Empire’s main troops are marching toward Garreg Mach. Edelgard already has a small force nearby. She snuck them in over time, dressed as merchants and pilgrims. It is said that the main forces will join Edelgard’s army and will be here within two weeks.” _Shit._ Her fists clenched behind her back as Shamir nodded solemnly. 

Seteth’s face was outright panicked as he shook his head in disbelief. “Two weeks? That is not enough time! We have only begun setting up the necessary defenses and…” He cut himself off with a shake of his head. “We will apply all of our efforts to prepare before then. We must send notice to all of the surrounding villages at once. We must order the residents of Garreg Mach to flee for their lives.”

Shamir nodded. “It will be done.” She cast a quick glance at Byleth before marching out the door to order the knights to evacuate everyone. 

Byleth was already thinking of all of the things she needed to do when Rhea softly said, “Byleth… listen closely…” Byleth mind snapped back to the present and she looked up at Rhea. “If our enemy invades the monastery, I will have no choice but to stand upon the battlefield. If something happens to me, I am entrusting my sacred duties to you.”

“What? Why me?”

Rhea nodded and smiled. “You must have guessed it by now. The truth of who you are. Or, perhaps I should say, your lost memories are surely beginning to return. I have acted all these long years as a mere proxy for you. But the duty is yours and yours alone. Only you can lead the people of Fodlan.”

I’M NOT SOTHIS!!! She wanted to scream, but all her mind could tell her to do was flee. She nodded and walked swiftly out the door. Her hands began to shake. _Rhea thinks I’m Sothis… Rhea thinks Sothis took over… or does she think I was Sothis all along?_

 _I don’t WANT to be the Archbishop. I’m only here to keep the people I care about safe!_ She ran in the direction of her room, and once inside slammed and locked the door behind her. _I’m not Sothis. I’ll never be Sothis. Dammit! Why didn’t I just say that?_

She didn’t know how long she was sitting on her bed when she heard a frantic knock at the door. As soon as she opened it, a sobbing Flayn grabbed her in a hug. “Flayn? Flayn what’s wrong?” Flayn continued to sob into her shirt as she stroked the poor girl’s hair.

After a few seconds, Flayn cried out, “Oh! It’s so awful, Professor. Rhea said… Rhea said…” Flayn buried her head back into Byleth’s shoulder as ice flowed through her veins. 

“Rhea said what, Flayn?”

Flayn sniffled and stood up, still holding Byleth’s arms. “Rhea… it was awful… I was eavesdropping in the Audience Chamber.” She looked sheepishly off to the side. “I just wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help. But after you left… my father… he asked if you were the progenitor god. Rhea said… Rhea said that you were a vessel, and she thinks that… she thinks that…”

Another knock sounded at the door and Byleth glanced up at it. Felix’s frustrated voice filtered through. “Byleth? Open up! Claude said you were sleeping at your desk again! I brought you food, and I’ll force you to eat it if I have to.”

Flayn’s eyes widened, still filled with tears. She glanced nervously at the door and then back at Byleth. Byleth wiped away a tear and walked over to the door. “Felix. Thanks for bringing the food. I’ll a bit busy, but…”

“What did Shamir say?” Felix handed her the tray and then began pushing into her room, stopping as he saw the still sniffling Flayn. “What’s going on?” Felix tensed and looked over Byleth’s face. “Why do you look like that?”

“It’s nothing, Fe. I need to finish speaking with Flayn. Thank you, again, for the food.”

Felix narrowed his eyes. “Something is wrong. You always look like this when something is wrong.”

Byleth couldn’t help the dry chuckle that escaped her. “Edelgard’s forces are two weeks away. What isn’t wrong?” Felix’s face paled, his eyes widened, and his hands moved to the hilt of the sword she had given him for his birthday. She noticed his thumb, probably unconsciously, stroking across her Crest on the pommel.

She shook her head and put a hand on his cheek. “It’s going to be alright. I’ll figure something out.” Felix’s hand reached up to rest on her elbow as his eyes fixated on her. “Why don’t you give me an hour to talk to Flayn and finish some things, and then I’ll come and spar with you, okay? I could use a break.” She tried to smile, but it must have failed because Felix face soured.

“Fine.” His hand dropped back to his side and she did the same. With one last glance at Flayn he walked out the door and shut it behind him.

Flayn sniffled and softly said, “He really cares about you.”

Byleth shook her head and chuckled softly. “We’ve been friends for a long time. With my father gone, he thinks he needs to watch out for me.” 

Flayn shook her head with a sad and dreamy look in her eye. “No. I think it is more than that.” Flayn sat down on Byleth’s bed and looked down at her hands. 

_No time to dissect that one._ “What did Rhea say, Flayn?” Byleth sat down and put her arm around the green haired girl.

Flayn whispered, “She thinks that you will become one with the goddess’ power, and Sothis will return to this world.”

It felt like the world stopped turning for a moment as she stared at her desk. “She… she thinks Sothis will take over?” Flayn nodded with tears filling her eyes. “But Sothis is gone… I don’t…” _Is it even a possibility? Could I just… cease to exist? Sothis wouldn’t do it intentionally. As much as she wished for a body of her own, she loved me. She wouldn’t do that to me._

“I just had to tell you, Professor.” Flayn grabbed her hands and looked pleadingly up at her. “Rhea asked for my father’s help, but he said that while he can’t go back and undo it, whatever Rhea did to you was unjust. You’ve done so much for us! As much as I would love to meet Sothis, it wouldn’t be worth losing you, Professor. You’ve become family to me! Father… he was so worried before the Holy Tomb. He thought it might happen then, but you’re still here! Maybe it won’t happen. Maybe everything will be alright!”

Her stomach churned and her head suddenly felt really light. “I think I might be sick…” 

Flayn looked her over worriedly as the corners of her vision began to darken. She heard, “Professor!” before everything went black.

~Sylvain~

“Sylvain!” Flayn’s frantic voice sounded out behind him, stopping him from walking into the training grounds. He turned to see her running down the steps in front of Byleth’s room. “Thank the goddess! The Professor has fainted. We need to—” 

He was already running to Byleth’s room before the poor girl could finish. Flayn hurriedly stepped back into the room and pointed to Byleth passed out on the bed. “What happened?” 

Flayn’s voice was anxious as she stuttered, “We were… we were speaking and she said she thought she was going to be sick and then she just…”

Sylvain knelt down next to the bed and put two fingers to Byleth’s pulse point. She was pale, with bags under her eyes, but she was still breathing. He scooped her up into his arms and turned toward the door. “Let’s get her to Manuela.”

Manuela jumped up as soon as he entered the room. As he set her down on the infirmary bed Manuela joked in a nervous tone, “We really must stop meeting like this…” Her hands lit up with healing magic as she scanned Byleth’s body. “What happened?”

Flayn said, “We were speaking in her room and she started breathing heavily and fainted. Is the Professor going to be alright?”

Manuela clicked her tongue and shook her head. “When was the last time she ate? Is she even sleeping? I know we are preparing for a war but…”

Byleth groaned and reached up to put a hand to her head. “Manuela?”

Manuela shook her head and walked over to grab a cup of water. She called over her shoulder, “Do you remember what happened?”

Byleth looked around the room and her eyes widened. She sat up quickly and threw her legs over the side. “I need to go. I need to—”

Manuela shook her head and pushed the cup of water into Byleth’s hands. “Sleep and eat. You need to perform the basic human functions, Byleth. I know you are worried for your students, but honestly! You are passing out from exhaustion! You can’t fight a war if you aren’t eating and sleeping.” Manuela turned to him. “I’m counting on you to make sure she does.” Manuela smiled and patted his shoulder. “Now get her down to the dining hall and then off to bed for a nap. You can continue working when you have done that.”

Byleth grimaced and put a hand to her head. “Don’t be ridiculous. Edelgard’s forces will be here in two weeks. There’s too much to do.” His heart stopped for a moment until he remembered to breathe. _Two weeks… that’s so soon._

“Physician’s orders. Do you want me to report this to Lady Rhea and Seteth?” Manuela raised an eyebrow and Byleth’s already pale face got even paler.

Flayn chirped, “We’ll make sure she takes a break! Felix brought her food earlier. I’m sure Sylvain can walk her back to her quarters!”

Sylvain nodded and Byleth sighed. She downed the cup of water and then stood and walked out the door. “Fine. I’ll eat and lie down for a moment, but I promised Felix I would spar with him later.”

Sylvain shook his head as he followed. “He’ll forget all about that once I tell him you passed out. By, you’ve got to slow down!”

Flayn said, “Sylvain is right, Professor. It’s not good for your health.” 

Byleth laughed and it had an edge of hysteria that made Sylvain extremely nervous. “Apparently existing is bad for my health. There’s not much I can do about it now.” Flayn’s breath hitched and when he turned to look at her, she looked like she had taken a physical blow and her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. 

Byleth sighed and wrapped the girl in a hug. “Why don’t you go and train with Mercedes and Annette. I think they were going to work on their faith magic a little more this afternoon. They might be in the classroom.” Flayn nodded and scurried off.

“What was that about?” Byleth turned to look at him, but then turned back quickly. Her shoulders were tense and her hands were clenched into fists at her sides.

“Nothing.” _A lie._ Byleth looped an arm through his and they walked down the stairs and in the direction of her room. “You don’t have to watch out for me, you know. You were probably doing something before Flayn pulled you away.”

“I was just heading in for training, but you’re more important.” She sighed and ran her free hand through her tangled and messy hair. “I’ll stay with you while you eat. Then maybe you could bathe and rest. Is there anything I can do?”

Byleth asked, “Have you heard anything from your father yet?” 

“Yes, actually. I was going to come by this afternoon and show you the letter. He’s… begrudgingly willing to take in anyone who needs the help. Ashe and his siblings already have a place in Gautier, and we can probably take a few others if things go south.”

“I should talk to Joel. I’ll have him send a group to Gaspard to get Ashe’s siblings up to Gautier before things get even messier.” She stopped and tugged his arm in the direction of the knight’s quarters, but he stopped her.

“Food and rest first, By. Please? Finding out you passed out is not something I would like to have to do again if I can help it.”

Her facial features softened slightly as she put a hand on his arm. “Alright. Let’s go to my room.”

He sat on the bed and glanced over a tactics manual she had on her dresser while she ate. He glanced up at her and said, “So… two weeks…”

She nodded solemnly and took another bite. When she finished eating, she said, “Edelgard was preparing for this a long time.” She bit her lip and looked off to the side. “I think our chances are about fifty-fifty. The enemy has too many advantages. We have to make careful preparations.” She reached up and grimaced as she rolled her neck. 

He stood and slowly walked behind her before reaching out and replacing her hand with his. She sighed as he kneaded his fingers into the stiff muscles of her neck and shoulders. “You’re working yourself too hard, By. All of this work will mean absolutely nothing if you aren’t healthy enough to fight when Edelgard comes.” In a slightly over-enthusiastic voice he added, “We can’t win if we aren’t led by our fearless leader!”

She bowed her head and whispered, “I’m not fearless.”

He sighed and leaned up against the desk so he could try to see her face. Her head was still bowed, and her sea foam hair was a curtain blocking his view. “I know. I shouldn’t have said that.” He brushed her green hair aside and tucked it behind her ear as she lifted her head.

“War and bloodshed are supposed to be my life, not yours.” She paused and looked up at the calendar beside her desk. “When I started this job, it was supposed to be teaching you so you could defend yourselves, not teaching you so you could wage war on each other. I wanted so much more for all of you.” 

She turned back to look at him and her lip quivered slightly. “I don’t want you to see all the things I have. I don’t want you to have to make the decisions I’m used to. War is an ugly thing, and you are… not.” 

He couldn’t help but chuckle and her eyes crinkled before she laughed brokenly. “So… what you’re saying is I’m too handsome for war, then?”

She stood and pushed back her chair before she lightly pushed his shoulder. “More like too pretty. What’s a softie like you going to do in a war? Flirt with the enemy until they stop?”

He leaned closer and winked. “We won’t know until we try, now will we?”

She shook her head and the corner of her mouth twitched up. “Make love, not war… something like that?”

“Well… love is a strong word. But yeah, something like that.” He winked down at her eye roll and she leaned against him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

She mumbled into his chest, “Please don’t get killed trying to flirt with the enemy.” 

He wrapped his arms around her and laid his head on hers. “What a way to go, right?” She pinched his side and he shook his head with a breathy chuckle. “Sorry By. That trick doesn’t work on me. You however…” 

She tried to push away from his chest but he tightened one arm around her and used the other to poke her side. She yelped again and slipped out of his grip, backing up slowly with her hands raised. “Alright… let’s think about this for a moment…”

He grinned and shook his head. “I’m afraid you’ve started a fight you just can’t win.”

Her eyes narrowed as a wicked grin crossed her face. “There’s no fight I can’t win.” 

That wicked grin made his heart race as he corralled her back towards the bed. “I think you’ve finally met your match, By.”

She let out a breathy chuckle, but her eyes widened slightly when the back of her legs hit the bed. “What do you think you’re going to do?”

He shrugged and stepped up until he was right in front of her. “Tickle you until you yield.”

She shook her head and smirked. “A student has never made me—” She was cut off by a yelp as he pushed her back on the bed and tickled her sides. Laughter filled the room as he used his knee to lightly pin her to the bed and continued to tickle her. “Syl! Syl!” She swatted at his hands, but he continued.

He cocked his head to the side. “Do you yield?”

A glint in her eye was all the warning he had before he was suddenly pinned under her, her thighs caging his torso and his hands pinned above his head. They were both breathing heavily as they stared at each other. The corner of her mouth twitched upward as she said, “No… Do you?”

His heart was pounding in his ears and all he could focus on was her weight on top of him. Green hair curtained her face and her green eyes pierced his as if she was looking right through him. “I… I think I yielded to you a long time ago.” _Oh goddess… that was so stupid! What the hell am I thinking?!_ His heart pounded uncontrollably in his chest as her eyes widened ever so slightly.

She whispered, “You… what?” Her weight shifted back into dangerous territory as she let go of his hands and sat up straight, and he tensed. She stared at him for a few moments, and then she chuckled nervously and ran a hand through her hair. Her voice wavered as she said, “Back to using lines on me, are you? It’s been a while. I wasn’t expecting that.” His chest was physically hurting and he thought he might die. Right here. On Byleth’s bed. 

_I want to die. Goddess, PLEASE put me out of my fucking misery._

A knock sounded at the door before Felix shouted, “Hey! I thought we were sparring!” Byleth’s eyes widened and she scrambled off of him to walk to the door.

Sylvain hurried to standing, heart still pounding uncontrollably, as she swung open the door. “Sorry Fe. I ended up passing out and now I’ve been ordered to—”

“You what?!” Felix’s eyes widened as he looked her over. “What happened?”

She sighed and stepped back to let him into the room. “I was tired and hadn’t eaten in a while. Manuela said I’m fine.”

Sylvain rubbed the back of his neck and said, “No, she ordered you to rest.” Felix seemed to just now realize he was there and he raised an eyebrow. “Flayn asked me to carry her to the infirmary. I brought her back and made sure she ate. Now I should go. I need to get some training in.” Byleth glanced at him and bit her lip, but he turned away. “I’ll see you guys later.”

He fled the room before Byleth could say anything. He groaned as he walked to his room instead of the training grounds. There was no point in training. He could only hope the ground would swallow him whole so he never had to see Byleth again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was watching clips to try and write this chapter, and I realized that Seteth has two different dialogue options after Rhea admits she thinks Byleth is Sothis (or is at least going to become her.) One is that he goes along with it, and Flayn comes out and also agrees. (Traitor.) The other is that he says what Rhea did is unjust and he can't go along with it. In that one, Flayn doesn't pop out. This is my take of what she thinks. 
> 
> Also... did you guys hate that almost confession as much as I did? Whew! Awful. Just awful.
> 
> The line up is as follows:
> 
> Chapter 59: The Night Before it all Goes to Shit
> 
> Chapter 60: The Battle of Garreg Mach
> 
> Then... After the Fall. Stay tuned!


	59. Chapter 59

~Felix~

The day before Edelgard’s army was predicted to invade the monastery, the entire monastery was on edge. Walking through the grounds it was common to see someone crying, or kissing, or some other obnoxious “this might be the last day we’re alive” business. He couldn’t believe how many times he had heard that today. It sounded like something Sylvain would say to manipulate someone into bed. _Maybe if they spent a little more time training, they wouldn’t be so scared._

 _“You spend all your time training and you’re still scared.”_ An unhelpful voice in the back of his mind reminded him. All he could do was roll his eyes and continue to slash at the training dummy in front of him.

He had barely seen Sylvain or Byleth over the last two weeks. Byleth was running around like a madwoman, always in meetings with the knights discussing strategy, or training with her multitude of students. 

The remaining Black Eagles were staying, which he was surprised by. He figured they would all go into hiding, especially with the treatment they received around the monastery grounds. Just yesterday he had threatened some guy who had Bernadetta crowded in a corner as he pestered her about being friends with the enemy. The poor girl was shaking like a leaf, what would she be doing to aide Edelgard? Frankly he was amazed she was here in the first place. Dorothea had thanked him profusely and kissed him on the cheek coyly (disgusting) before leading the girl away.

The Golden Deer were sticking around as well. Byleth and Claude had worked together to have a backup plan for the Golden Deer in the worst-case scenario. Claude had been constantly around over the last two weeks, trying to help Byleth. They had an agreement of sorts that they would get along as long as they were keeping Byleth’s head above water. Claude would make sure she had dinner, and he would make sure she remembered to sleep, things like that. 

He wasn’t sure what Sylvain was doing… but knowing him he was probably drunk somewhere trying to forget everything that was happening. Or he was bedding anyone and everyone. Felix was actively trying not to think about it. And failing spectacularly. 

A particularly hard swing cracked his wooden training sword and he groaned in frustration. He looked up at the roof of the training grounds and noticed that the sun was setting. He had been in here for most of the day. _I should probably stop if I want to have the stamina I need for tomorrow._ The thought of stopping was scarier than he would like to admit, though. If he stopped training, he would have the time to think about how much his life was going to change tomorrow.

Whether they won or lost, everything was going to be different. His old man had offered a room to whomever needed it if the worst happened, and moreover had begged him to come home as soon as it was done so they could take care of things in Fraldarius territory. His old man worried that the war would quickly spread into the Kingdom due to their ties to the church. Only some of the major lords in the Alliance were pious, and they were all cutthroats who only looked out for themselves, so Edelgard might have a chance of them being an ally. The Kingdom would be at a severe disadvantage if that happened.

When Felix had brought it up to Claude, he had been his normal, shifty self. He explained that his grandfather was the head of the Alliance for now, so he didn’t really know what was going to happen. He also gave the excuse that the Roundtable would have to make the unanimous decision to side with Edelgard, and that was about as likely as a pig flying. Felix had rolled his eyes and walked away. Politics weren’t really his thing anyway.

“Felix? I figured I’d find you in here. You should be getting some rest.” He spun around and looked at Byleth standing in the doorway. The last of the days’ sunlight shone behind her, making her hair seem to glow. _Idiot. What are you even thinking about? Is now really the time for this shit?_

He must have been making a face because she walked into the room and tilted her head. “What’s wrong?”

He shook his head and walked over to place his training sword on the rack. “Nothing. Just thinking about tomorrow.” He waved his hand around to the rest of the room and said, “I think I might miss this place.” She laughed and he turned to glare at her. “Did I say something funny?”

She shook her head and looked to be actively trying to contain her laughter. Her eyes were crinkled and she had her arms around her torso as she said, “It’s just… refreshing… that everyone is panicking about tomorrow and you are in here saying you’ll miss the training grounds.”

He clicked his tongue and walked over to stand in front of her. “I never got to best you in a spar.”

She smirked and shrugged her shoulders. “Make it through tomorrow so you can keep trying.” 

Something about those words was like a punch to the stomach and he suddenly worried that he wouldn’t be able to breathe. He crossed his arms and turned slightly to the side as he tried to keep his breathing even. He felt her hand on his arm, but he didn’t turn. She whispered, “You’re going to make it through tomorrow.”

He sighed and turned to face her. “You are too. You have to.”

She smiled softly and nodded. “I have to. I have to keep you guys safe.”

Still feeling anxious, and desperate for a topic change, he blurted out, “My father wants you to come to Fraldarius.” _Coward._

She smirked and tilted her head before she teasingly asked, “Is he going to offer me another knighthood, just like the good old days?”

Felix scoffed and shook his head, watching closely as she stepped closer to him. He sarcastically said, “Right… because House Fraldarius is going to knight the goddess’ chosen one.” Her eyes widened slightly and he watched her deflate and take a small step back. He put a hand out but stopped himself before touching her. “What did I say?”

She wrapped her arms around herself and looked at the floor. “Rhea says that if anything happens to her tomorrow… I’m supposed to take over as Archbishop.”

“She what?!” He didn’t even try to keep the disbelief from his voice. “You know next to nothing about the church and how it runs. Why in the hell would she do that?”

She raised her head to look at him and his breath caught in his throat. She looked so sad, sadder than she had been in a while. She whispered, “I’ll tell you why after the battle tomorrow.”

He stepped closer and put a hand on her arm. “What’s wrong, Byleth? Tell me.”

She shook her head before leaning into him. “It would just be distracting for you, and I need you to have a clear head. Can we just…” she didn’t finish her sentence. She just stood there against him, and he gave in and wrapped his arms around her.

He whispered, “Whatever you want.”

They stood there for a few moments until Felix couldn’t take the close proximity any longer. He stepped back and Byleth watched him carefully. She asked, “Have you seen Sylvain today?”

Felix scoffed and rolled his eyes. “No. He’s probably either drinking or bedding someone, if I had to guess. Hell, probably both. Why?”

Her lips pulled into a frown and she shook her head. “I haven’t seen much of him the last two weeks. I’ve been so busy and…” she paused for a moment and looked to the side “…I wondered if you knew if he was okay. I also wondered if…” she trailed off again and her cheeks turned slightly pink. Or maybe that was just the light.

“You wondered if what?” 

She sighed and looked up at him. “I wondered if you two would want to stay with me tonight. I doubt I’ll be able to sleep, and…” she shook her head. “Never mind. Forget I said anything.”

His cheeks were burning as he turned away from her. He grumbled, “That’s Sylvain’s specialty, not mine.”

She whispered her next words so softly he almost didn’t catch it. “I wanted to spend as much time with you guys as possible before everything changes tomorrow. As hard as things have been the last few months… I’ll miss the way things have been, you know?”

He clenched his fists and nodded. “Yeah. I think I do.”

She stayed quiet for a moment before saying, “There’s a few more people I need to talk to before tomorrow. I’ll be in my room tonight if you want to stop by.” He didn’t turn around, he just nodded. She sighed before turning and walking out the door.

He walked over and slid down against a pillar, resting his arms on his bent knees. As he looked around the training grounds, he can almost picture all the time they had spent there together. He could picture Sylvain pretending to flirt with Ingrid instead of sparring. He could see Byleth adjusting their form. He could see Ashe in the corner with his bow. He could see Annette, Mercedes, and Flayn working on their magic in the corner. He could see Byleth’s competitive smirk from every time they had sparred. _I really am going to miss this place._

He sat there until the light completely faded. Once it was dark, he walked out the doors and headed to the bath house. He soaked for a long time, got dressed, and went down to grab dinner. The air in the dining hall was stifling. The kitchen staff had already evacuated, so various knights and students were cooking and trying to keep things cleaned up. Ashe and Mercedes were behind the counter when he went through the line to get food. They both gave him a sad smile and a wave before giving him food and sending him on his way.

When he was finished, he wandered back to his room. His most important things had already been packed up and sent with Byleth’s crew to Evergarden, a village just north of the monastery. He didn’t have much in the way of memorabilia, but his room still felt strangely empty. He readied his armor and weapons for the next day, taking special care with his silver sword, before stacking it all near the door. Who knew when they would need to be ready to go? All they had been told was to listen for the alarm bells.

He changed into the light clothes he wore under his armor and laid down on his bed. He stared up at the dark ceiling and listened to the sounds around him. After about an hour, he heard heavier footsteps pass his room and the door at the end of the hall opened. _Sylvain._ He sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed.

 _Do I even bother?_ He sighed and sat on his bed, staring into the darkest. With an exasperated groan, he stood and lit a candle before heading into the hall. He listened outside Sylvain’s door for a moment, and when he didn’t hear anything, he knocked.

“Who is it?” Sylvain’s tired voice drifted through the door and Felix rolled his eyes.

“It’s me, idiot.” Rustling sounded out before Sylvain threw open the door. His eyes were tired, but otherwise he looked fine. “Have you spoken to Byleth today?”

Sylvain tilted his head to rest it on the door frame. “No. I’ve been trying to get ready for tomorrow. Why? What’s up?”

Felix cleared his throat and looked off to the side as heat rushed to his cheeks. “She asked if we wanted to stay with her tonight. I didn’t know if you were going to or not.”

Sylvain’s voice was soft as he said, “I… wasn’t aware.” A brief pause. “Are you going?”

Felix shrugged his shoulders. “She said she was worried she wouldn’t be able to sleep, but that she wanted to spend some time with us… but I’ll only go if you do.”

“What? Why?” The genuine surprise in Sylvain’s voice was really irritating for some reason. 

He whipped his head over, cheeks still burning, and growled, “Because she asked both of us to be there. Stop asking stupid questions. Are you coming or not?”

Sylvain raised his hands in surrender before letting out a heavy sigh. “Fine, fine. Let me change and grab my armor.”

“I’ll meet you down there.” Felix stomped off to his room, grabbed his armor and sword, and headed to the first-floor dorms. It was a cool night as he walked down the path. He saw lots of people wandering into other people’s rooms. It wasn’t like they had the time to worry about propriety with a war knocking on their door.

He slowed when he noticed that Byleth’s door was open and he heard voices inside. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with me to Derdrui, Teach? You and me… we could be unstoppable. Dimitri is…”

“My Lions need me, Claude, especially Dimitri. He’s lost in his grief and desire for revenge. I can’t just leave him and my other Lions.”

Claude sighed heavily as Felix quietly stepped onto the first stair. “I wish you would have picked the Golden Deer, Teach. I really do.”

Byleth’s smile was soft as she cupped Claude’s cheek. “Maybe in another lifetime.” 

Claude lifted an eyebrow and said, “So, I’m not a student anymore. You did tell me to talk to you in a few weeks.” Byleth laughed and leaned her face closer to his before Felix purposefully stepped heavily on the top step. She sprung back and turned to him as Claude shot him a glare.

“Should I leave?” It was biting, but Byleth seemed pretty unfazed by it. _She's... with Claude? Then why the fuck am I here?_ A pit opened up in his stomach.

Claude was still glaring as a small smile curved on Byleth’s lips. “You came! No, come on in. Claude and I were just talking.”

In a fake teasing voice Claude said, “Playing sleepover, Teach? And I didn’t get an invite?” Byleth chuckled and tugged on his braid. Claude put his hands on her hips and winked at her.

“Are we… interrupting?” Sylvain’s voice behind him startled him slightly. He cast a glance over his shoulder at Sylvain, before turning back to Byleth and Claude.

Byleth shook her head. “Nope! I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Claude.” Claude smiled down at her, before turning and walking towards the door, while looking them both over critically.

“See you later, Lions. Don’t have too much fun. Fight of our lives and all that.” Claude shot a wink at Sylvain, who gave a half-assed smile before his face went neutral again. Felix watched Claude walk away, while Sylvain stayed behind him.

“Come in! I’m glad you decided to come. It was getting late and I thought maybe you wouldn’t.” Felix turned back to Byleth and nodded. “I’m glad you guys brought your gear. The last scouting report put Edelgard right outside the boundaries of the monastery. I doubt she’ll do anything tonight, but we can’t be sure.”

Sylvain slowly asked, “Do you have anything else you have to do tonight? Any more… visitors?” The last word was said with a layer of distaste that made Felix roll his eyes. _Who is Sylvain to be upset about another person's "visitors"?_

Byleth, still unfazed, shook her head. “Nope. Claude just wanted to ask me a question really quick. Everything is as ready for tomorrow as it’s ever going to be.” She sighed, and he noticed just how weary she looked as she closed the door behind them. Ever the mercenary, Byleth’s armor was already prepared. He set his pile of armor and weapons near hers before glancing around the room. Byleth had taken a bunch of extra pillows and blankets and scattered them over the floor. 

“I thought we could all sleep on the floor. It would feel more like when I was a mercenary, with everyone packed in together. Is that okay?” Byleth’s voice was hesitant as she awkwardly looked between them. _This was… an AWFUL idea._

Sylvain shrugged and said, “I doubt I’ll be sleeping much anyway.” Sylvain walked over and placed his armor near Felix’s before stripping of his coat. Then, annoyingly nonchalant as ever, he went and laid down on the floor, crossing his arms behind his head and looking up at them. 

Byleth smiled slightly and laid down next to him. She rolled onto her side, head propped up on her elbow, and asked Sylvain, “How are you doing? I feel like I haven’t seen you in two weeks. I kept trying to find you, but I never could.”

Sylvain chuckled somewhat nervously and shook his head. “How is anyone doing? I was just... busy.” He looked up at Felix and raised an eyebrow. Felix still hadn’t moved, he just stood there, looking down at them. Felix shook his head and sat down on Byleth’s other side, facing both of them. 

Byleth frowned slightly and rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. She whispered, “Part of me still wishes all of you would have gone to your territories. The tactician in me knows we need the help, but I’m just… worried.”

Felix was worried as well, not that he would tell either of them that. He rolled his eyes and said, “You’ve taught us well.”

She sighed and nodded. “I know I have… but I was talking to Hanneman today. He has a theory about why Edelgard was so set on confronting us at the Holy Tomb. He thinks that Edelgard is using the stolen Crest Stones to create an army of demonic beasts.” Her features hardened as she continued to stare at the ceiling. “I still can’t believe she’s working with those people. It feels like nothing she’s ever told me has been the truth. She told me she didn’t know Monica…Kronya… was going to kill my father, and now I can’t believe that. She was there the day we took down Kronya and Solon, but what if that was just to keep up appearances? What was real and what was fake?”

Sylvain rolled onto his side to look down at her. “We can’t really think about that stuff anymore, By. She’s not giving us a choice. We have to stop her. And… please be careful about Hubert. I don’t like what he said in the Holy Tomb.”

Felix asked, “What IS your deal with Hubert?”

Byleth sighed and rolled her eyes. “One of the first things he did when I got here was say that if I was ever a danger to Edelgard he was going to kill me.”

“He what?!” Rage flared in his chest. “That creep threatened you? Seriously?”

She put a hand on top of his, now clenched, fist. “Relax. Hubert is the least of my worries.” She sighed again and then after looking at each of them said, “I want you guys to promise me that you’ll follow all of my orders tomorrow.”

Felix narrowed his eyes, not liking where this was going. “We always follow your orders.”

She nodded and frowned. “Yes, but… if I give an order for you to retreat, you have to listen. Even if I can’t go with you. Seteth and I made the decision today that if things take a turn for the worst, getting the students out is the first priority.”

Felix growled, “You think we’re just going to leave you behind?!” Sylvain sighed and rolled unto his back, bringing his hands up to cover his face.

Byleth’s eyes narrowed as she stared at him. “Tomorrow, I’m not your friend. Tomorrow, I’m your commander. You need to follow my orders. All of them. If you don’t swear to me right now that you will, I’ll have the remainder of my men cart you off at dawn. With force if necessary.”

Sylvain dropped his hands and pleaded, “But By…”

“No, Sylvain. Your safety is my primary goal tomorrow. There’s going to be enough strain trying to order three classes and all of the knights. Not to mention the chaos Dimitri is going to cause. I have to focus on keeping everyone alive, so I can’t worry about you two not listening to me.”

Felix gritted out, “Byleth…” She sighed turned over onto her stomach, throwing her face in a pillow. “You’re acting like we don’t have the right to want to keep you safe. It’s pissing me off.” She gave a frustrated groan that was muffled by the pillow her face was buried in. She didn’t lift her head or say anything, she just laid perfectly still for a moment. Sylvain glanced up at him and raised an eyebrow in question. Felix still felt angry about the thought of leaving Byleth behind. He reached forward and rolled Byleth over towards Sylvain, who put a hesitant hand on her hip.

“You have to swear you aren’t going to do anything reckless. If you swear that, we’ll swear to follow all of your orders.” Byleth opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder at Sylvain, who nodded in reluctant agreement.

“Fine. I promise.” Her tone was quiet and sorrowful. Felix saw Sylvain’s hand tense before slowly wrapping around her waist and hugging her tight. There was a weird feeling in his stomach and his chest tightened. He turned his face away and stared at an incredibly interesting vase on her dresser.

“If I have to stay behind to buy time, you guys need to get the rest of the Lions and Eagles to Evergarden. Dimitri will be…” she trailed off as sorrow overtook her features. “Don’t expect him to be able to lead. Go to Evergarden and wait for me there, okay? Seteth knows where you’ll be, and he’ll meet us there if the worst happens.”

“How is His Highness doing?” Sylvain propped himself up on his free elbow, and Byleth shifted to look at him.

Her voice was soft and sad as she said, “I don’t know. I’m worried about him. I’ve never struggled to snap him out of it this much. Ever since Edelgard revealed herself... he’s different. I don’t think he has as much control anymore. And Dedue is so loyal that he would do anything Dimitri asks… I’m worried about both of them. I feel like I’m losing them.” Her eyes glistened before she blinked and put her palms to her eyes.

He bit back the desire to say they were gone a long time ago. She was obviously upset, and he didn’t want to make it worse the night before everything was supposed to go to shit. Instead, he took out his bun and laid down beside her. He turned his head and met sad golden-brown eyes. Sylvain stared at him for a moment, before Felix felt heat start to rise in his cheeks and he looked up at the ceiling. His eyelids were heavy, but his mind was too busy for sleep.

Byleth hummed a tune he didn’t recognize, and he felt her small calloused hand on his. He didn’t move his hand to take hers, but he did ask, “What is that song?”

She stopped humming and when he turned his head, her brilliant green eyes were filled with fondness. “It was a song Sothis wrote. She taught it to me.”

“Will you…" He shook his head and scoffed, before turning away. He looked back as Byleth began singing.

 _ **“In time’s flow, see the glow, of flames ever burning bright. On the swift, river’s drift. Broken memories alight.”**_ A warmth seemed to rush over him as she sang, and his eyelids felt heavier than they did before. Her voice was so soothing and beautiful. She continued to hum and Felix stretched out before relaxing back into the pillows. He heard Sylvain sigh softly and when he looked over, he looked about how Felix felt. Byleth’s eyes seemed to glow a brighter green as she sang it again. He turned onto his side, facing her, and finally laced his fingers through hers. 

A voice in the back of his mind said, _“If there’s a last night to have… this one isn’t so bad.”_ He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head like it would make the thought go away. Soft lips brushed against his forehead and he opened his eyes. Byleth had her eyes closed, as did Sylvain behind her. Felix sighed and shut his.

_Tomorrow will come either way._

~Sylvain~

They woke before dawn to the sound of the alarm bells and the sound of yelling knights running down the pathway to the dorms. “The Imperial Army approaches! Everyone to their positions! The Imperial Army approaches!”

A chill ran down his spine as he opened his eyes and saw Byleth and Felix, already stumbling to their feet to pull on their armor. They had all slept very little, if at all. Felix and Byleth both looked alert and ready, but Sylvain couldn’t fight off the tightness in his chest. It felt like his body was heavy. He didn't want to face today. He wanted to stay here with them and forget all about this stupid war.

_Today is the day. The war… It’s real. It’s here._

“Get up, idiot!” Felix was strapping on the last of his armor and Sylvain hadn’t even moved yet. “We need to get to the Reception Hall.”

“Wait!” His voice cracked with desperation enough to make him wince. Both of them turned, Byleth had one boot on and stood on tiptoe on the other as she looked down at him. Sylvain scrambled to his feet and look between them. “I… I just…”

Byleth’s eyes crinkled in the corners as she nodded her head. “Come here.” Sylvain stepped forward and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled her close until there was no space between them and buried his face in her hair. He took a deep breath, causing the scent of lavender and sword oil to fill his senses, and tried to calm down even as his fear and anxiety threatened to overwhelm him. 

He whispered into her hair, “I’m scared.”

She hummed softly and stroked the back of his hair. “I know. I’ll get you through this. Trust in me, okay?” He tried to squeeze her tighter, and he held her until she dropped her arms and pushed off his chest. She smiled at him one last time before her face became the stiff neutrality it always did before battle. “I have to go. I’ll see you both in the Reception Hall.” 

She pulled on her other boot, squeezed Felix’s hand, and ran out the door. As soon as it shut behind her, Sylvain reached down and began to pull on his armor. As he was getting ready Felix muttered, “Are you going to be alright?”

Sylvain glanced over at his best friend and tried his best to smile. “I’ve gotta be, Fe. Besides… I trust By.”

Felix nodded. “Yeah.” He looked at the door and added, “Hurry up. We’re going to be late.”

Sylvain let out a half chuckle and said, “Can you be late for war? I’m not sure that’s possible.”

Felix groaned and rolled his eyes. “Just hurry up, idiot.”

When he was finally ready, they both glanced around the room before looking at each other. “I know you aren’t a fan but…”

Felix rolled his eyes and walked forward until he wrapped his arms around Sylvain’s armored waist. Sylvain swallowed through the lump in his throat and whispered, “Please be careful today.”

Felix nodded against his chest. “You too. No stupid heroics. We made a promise, and I don’t plan on dying today.”

Sylvain cleared his throat and nodded. “Yeah… Right. No dying. Got it.”

They ran into the Reception Hall and immediately spotted the large group of students. All three houses huddled together as Byleth and Alois stood in front of them. Alois booming voice yelled, “Listen up, everyone! The Imperial Army is upon us. If you can fight, pick up a weapon. Everyone else, hurry up and evacuate! We have the goddess’ protection on our side. We have nothing to fear. Victory will be ours!”

Catherine ran up to the group with her hand resting on the hilt of Thunderbrand. “Byleth! Are you guys ready?”

Byleth scanned the crowd before turning and answering, “Almost.”

Catherine nodded. “Well hurry up. I don’t need to tell you the situation is dire. We have some support troops from the local nobles, but the army that we are facing is immense. No matter how you look at it, we’re at a disadvantage.”

Nervous murmurs ran through the crowd of students as everyone fiddled with their weapons. Dimitri stood in the front of the crowd, his blonde hair and tall stature easily recognizable. He bowed his head and said, “They’re here. At long last.”

Felix nodded with his hand on the hilt of Byleth’s sword. “It seems this will be a battle to remember. About time.”

Ashe pumped his fist in the air. “I’ll never give up. No matter how outnumbered we are. I’ll fight to the very end.”

Sylvain shook his head. “Please, just be careful everyone.”

Mercedes nodded. “We have the goddess’ divine protection and the Professor on our side. All that is left is to try our best!”

Annette clasped her hands in front of her heart. “All we can do is fight as best we can. Though… if I’m being honest, I’m really scared right now.” Ashe pulled her close and whispered something in her ear before she nodded and kissed him lightly, making him flush bright red. Sylvain felt himself smile, if only a little bit. _At least they have each other._

Ingrid shook her head. “We can’t just hand over the Kingdom and the monastery. We’ll stop her, no matter what it takes!”

There were various cheers throughout the crowd of students as Byleth looked over them. Sylvain glanced over at Dimitri and noticed Dedue whispering something in his ear. Dimitri shook his head as a hysterical laugh escaped his lips. “Hah! Unwell! What’s gotten into you!” Dimitri turned and had a huge smile on his face. Felix stiffened beside him, and Sylvain put a light hand on his elbow.

“Nothing could be farther from the truth. I’m so happy, I can hardly contain myself. My father, my step mother, Glenn, my dearest friends, they all want her head. They want her life. They’ve whispered as much to me.” Byleth started to walk forward, placing a hand on Dimitri’s back. If he noticed, he didn’t care. “The chance to answer their pleas has arrived at long last!”

Byleth shook her head. “Dima, don’t act rashly. We’re all in this together.”

Dimitri turned to face her as another hysterical laugh echoed through the hall. “Of course, of course! But don’t mistake my intentions. Edelgard will die by my hand, and by my hand alone.” He wrapped an arm around Byleth’s shoulders, and Sylvain had to hold Felix back before he lunged at the prince. “Let’s move, Professor. Even if it costs me my life, I won’t rest until I’ve crushed her skull with my bare hands!”

More nervous murmurs erupted from the surrounding students. Claude’s face was twisted with a frown as he looked between a very stressed Byleth and a still hysterical Dimitri. Felix growled, “The boar is going to get us all killed.”

“Byleth’s going to keep us all safe. It’ll work out.” It sounded hallow, even in his own ears. 

Fear was coursing through him as Byleth raised a hand and called for all of them to march to the gates. As soon as they passed through the gates, they could see the Imperial army flooding through a breach in the barrier wall. Byleth called out their positions. She was leading the center group, surrounded by a mixture of students. Dimitri was pacing like a caged animal at her side. Emery was waiting for him on the eastern side, and Felix was in the western side group. 

He started to panic as he realized they were going to be separated during the battle, but Byleth glanced over at him and nodded. He’d be able to see most everyone from the skies, so that made him feel a little bit better. He just had to trust that Byleth knew what she was doing. Manuela was leading their group and she talked them through Byleth’s strategy.

Roars sounded out as winged demonic beasts appeared and started flying towards them. Closer to the main body of the Imperial Army, Sylvain could see some of the normal demonic beasts as well. Sylvain glanced over and noticed Byleth grimace before her Ashen Demon mask slipped on. 

Horns sounded from the other end of the battlefield and the Imperial Army’s foot soldiers began their charge. Byleth lifted the Sword of the Creator and yelled, “Defend the monastery! Defend your lives! CHARGE!”

This was it. The war had begun. 


	60. Chapter 60

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it guys! It's here! It's here!

~Byleth~

Hope had begun to spring in her chest as they fought on. It wasn’t nearly as bad as she had thought it was going to be. She stayed near Dimitri, glancing to both sides to check on her other students as they cut through the Imperial forces. Dimitri was like a man possessed, cutting through soldiers like a knife through butter. His eyes were wild and his laugh was chilling as she and Dedue strove to stay nearby.

At the sound of wingbeats overhead, she glanced up and spotted one of their scouts. “Report! The enemy has taken the entrances where the reinforcements were heading!” A bolt from a ballista flew through the air, striking the wyvern the scout was on and the man fell with a deafening yell. Instinctively, she pulled on the power to stop time, but let it go. _I’m sorry…_

She had already saved Dimitri and Ignatz, she still didn’t know how many times she would be able to use the Divine Pulse without being completely useless in battle. An ugly feeling formed in the pit of her stomach as they charged past where the scout had dropped. Trying to decide which lives she should save was proving to be the worst thing she had ever experienced. A voice in the back of her mind that sounded suspiciously like her father’s said, _“It’s all a part of war, Kid.”_

She shouted, “We need to retake the strongholds to the east and west so our reinforcements can get through!” Dimitri didn’t respond, but Dedue cast her a glance before grimacing. 

Dedue shouted, “Your Highness? What would you have us do?” Dimitri cut down another Imperial soldier before glancing back at them over his shoulder.

“By! It’s the Death Knight!” Sylvain’s call sounded out from the sky over towards the eastern stronghold and she cursed under her breath.

Dimitri’s head cocked to the side and a creepy smile spread across his face. “Another one of the wicked ones? I will have his head!” He stormed east and Dedue cast her a glance before following.

“What do we do, Professor?” Lysithea was at her side, eyes wary as she took in the battlefield around them. A winged demonic beast shrieked over near the western entrance and Byleth took in the surrounding area. 

“The knights have a handle on this area. Let’s go and clear up the western stronghold so reinforcements can get through.” Lysithea, Ashe, Raphael, and Linhardt nodded and she ran toward the stronghold. She turned the final corner and grimaced. Hubert stood to the side with a menacing grin on his face, casting spells at the students and knights who were attempting to fight off two winged demonic beasts and Imperial soldiers.

“Raph, Lin, and Lysithea, help with the demonic beasts. Ashe, come with me. We need to take out Hubert.”

“Professor…” Linhardt put a hand on her arm and she whipped around to face him. “I know I don’t need to warn you that Hubert has a special interest in you.” Genuine worry showed in his big blue eyes as he nodded toward the dark mage. “Just… please be careful.”

“I will. You be safe, too. No dying today.” She patted the sleepy mage’s arm before running off with Ashe on her heels. They ducked behind a crumbling structure just in time to avoid a blast of miasma.

“Ah… Professor. I was wondering if I would have to come and find you.” Ashe peeked around the corner, attempting to get a shot at Hubert, but fell back as a fire spell flew past them. “I should have disposed of you when I had the chance. I will remedy that here.”

“I’ll distract him, you see if you can circle around.” Ashe’s eyebrows pulled together ever so slightly with concern before he nodded and headed the opposite direction. She jumped out past the corner, and when another fire spell flew her way, she cut right through it with the Sword of the Creator. “I’d like to see you try, Hubert.”

He chuckled darkly as dark magic flowed to his fingertips. Sigils she didn’t recognize spread around her and she rolled out of the way right before a blast of dark magic flew from the ground. It looked similar to the spell that had struck Felix in Remire. The thought had her knuckles white around the grip of her sword. “Learning tricks from your pale friends, I see.”

He scoffed and shot off a miasma spell. “They are not friends.” He said the last word with so much distaste it made her pause. “They are a necessary evil.” An arrow whistled through the air, grazing Hubert’s hair. Hubert scoffed and turned to Ashe, who was already redrawing. “Insignificant.”

Byleth let out a cry and whipped the Sword of the Creator toward Hubert. He had to stop his cast as he rolled out of the way. She charged while he was distracted, and he formed a magical shield in front of him. Sweat beaded on her brow as she pushed against the shield. Hubert’s eyes widened ever so slightly as the sound of glass breaking filled the air.

A blood curdling shriek sounded out on her right, and both of them glanced over in time to watch as Bernadetta was flung against a crumbling structure by a winged demonic beast. Her eyes were glassy as her head lolled to the side. Hubert hissed, “Traitorous—” before time stopped. She took in her surroundings as she pulled back time to when they were standing behind the corner.

Time resumed and Byleth put a hand on Ashe’s shoulder. “Go and help Bernadetta with the demonic beast. I’ll handle Hubert.”

“But Professor…”

“GO!” Ashe’s eyes widened before she jumped out from behind the corner and slashed through the fire spell that had come sailing toward them. She saw Ashe sprint toward Bernadetta in the corner of her eye before she launched the Sword of the Creator toward Hubert.

“Tell me about the people you are working with. I know you aren’t fond of them!” Hubert’s eyes widened for only a moment, before narrowing to slits as the same sigils circled her. She rolled out of the way of the spell before charging toward Hubert again.

“If they’re a necessary evil, there is no reason to keep their dirty secrets, right?” Hubert’s face paled slightly as he sent a ball of miasma toward her. She dodged out of the way before charging toward him with her sword raised. He conjured the same shield and she pushed against it, regretfully acknowledging the fatigue in her arms.

“What do they want?” 

Hubert chuckled darkly. “I won’t tell you anything.” The sound of glass breaking filled the air, and with a cry she gave another push and broke through the magical barrier. She slashed across Hubert’s chest, and a line of red bloomed across his torso as he fell to the ground with a strangled cry.

She pointed her sword at his throat and growled, “I won’t hesitate. Tell me what I want to know!”

Edelgard’s voice sounded out behind her. “Hubert! Retreat! You must not fall here.” 

Pink tinged her vision and with a menacing laugh Hubert said, “We still have the advantage! I won’t be seeing you again, Professor.” She swung her sword, but he was already gone. 

“DAMN IT!” She checked on the students, and when she saw that everyone was still in fighting shape, she spun around and spotted Edelgard back toward the center. Lavender eyes narrowed on hers, before a wyvern rider came soaring toward her.

“I must not fail Her Majesty!” A female rider threw a hand axe that she rolled out of the way of. The hand axe was closely followed by a lance as they swooped down toward her. She dodged out of the way, but heard a cry. When she turned her head, an arrow was sticking out of the woman’s collarbone, and another struck her side.

The wyvern rider called out, “I’m sorry, Your Majesty! I must retreat!” The wyvern roared and retreated as another came to hover near her.

“Need a hand, Teach?” Claude grinned down at her and she nodded. “We should get to Edelgard. Hopefully we can put a stop to this mess.” His wyvern pulled up and he waved his hand toward where she had spotted Edelgard earlier.

She sprinted after him, the strain in her body beginning to set it. _Three times. I have to take out Edelgard and end this. I don’t know how much more I can…_

A pained scream and a terrible roar cut of her train of thought as a spell struck Claude’s wyvern. Claude couldn’t get a handle on his injured wyvern, and a streak of yellow fell from the sky as she ran toward them. _If he makes it… maybe I can heal…_ She slid to a stop as the world seemed to tilt sideways. Claude’s leg was trapped under his injured wyvern and blood… too much blood… trailed from his mouth and a wound on his head.

She ran toward him, and dropped down beside him. Claude let out a terrible cough and whispered, “My friend... is this how it ends?”

"I'm going to save you. You aren't going to die." His eyes softened as he took her hand and smiled. It was weak, but it was real. Time froze as tears blurred her vision. Time spun backward and a searing heat ran through her veins. _Four._

Time resumed as Claude’s wyvern pulled up and he waved his hand toward where she had spotted Edelgard earlier. “WAIT!” Claude’s head whipped toward her and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Let me get a head start. Watch out for mages!” He raised an eyebrow, but stayed where he was as she ran forward on slightly shaky legs.

She rounded the corner and immediately spotted the mage. The miasma spell that had nearly killed Claude flew towards her and she slashed through it with an angry yell. The Sword of the Creator shot forward and punched a hole through the mage’s chest, he didn’t even cry out as he fell.

Dimitri’s voice roared out from her left, “Edelgard! Let’s separate that sick head from your neck, shall we?” He charged forward and swung his lance, which Edelgard deflected with her shield.

“Heh. You never were one for patience.” Edelgard scoffed as she swung her axe overhead, breaking Dimitri’s lance with the force of her swing. _How is she that strong?_ Dimitri growled in frustration and threw the butt of his lance toward Edelgard before rushing her with the head of the lance. She batted him away with her shield and he fell to the ground. Byleth whipped the Sword of the Creator out and wrapped it around the shield. With a huge pull, Edelgard lost grip.

Edelgard frowned as she grasped her axe with both hands. “I wish you were someone whose heart could be swayed by my words and deeds. If so, I would have done anything to make you my ally.”

An arrow flew through the air and lodged into her shoulder. Claude shouted, “Here she is, Her Majesty, looking as pleased as a dog with a stick. What exactly happened to make you this way?”

Edelgard grunted as she blocked a jab from Dimitri, following it swiftly with a swing of her axe and a kick to his side. “I’m simply seeing through a promise I made to myself a long time ago.”

Byleth ducked out of the way as another arrow struck Edelgard. “Isn’t this much force excessive? Thanks to you, my own long-held ambitions are nearly destroyed!”

Edelgard grimaced, “If you don’t want them to be destroyed completely, I suggest you turn tail and flee.”

Byleth saw red as she raised her hand. “Don’t threaten him!” A thunder spell pierced through the air, and Edelgard fell to one knee with a grunt.

Lavender eyes raised to look at her as Dimitri let out a roar and charged. “You’ve fought well, but now your fight is over.” Pink filled her vision again as Edelgard screamed, “Send in the reserve troops! And give my uncle the signal!” Dimitri’s lance swiped through thin air and he let out a cry of rage, already swiveling to search the area.

A horn blared somewhere near the wall of the monastery and Byleth’s eyes widened as she looked out across the field. All she saw was red as hundreds of soldiers poured through the barrier walls of the monastery. “Uh… Teach?” Claude’s nervous voice sounded out behind her and she quickly turned.

“Gather whomever you can and retreat!”

“But Teach?!”

“GO NOW! I’ll hold them off as long as I can!” Claude sent her one last look before heading back toward the main forces where most of the students were fighting.

“We cannot FLEE. That vile girl… I need her head! She cannot escape me!” Heavily armored footsteps approached and she glanced back to see Dedue running toward them. 

“Dimitri! You won’t survive if you stay. Retreat and live to fight another day!” Dimitri let out a rage filled cry to the air, before starting to charge toward the incoming forces. With a sigh, she cut him off and hit him over the head with the hilt of her sword. He hit the ground with a thud, and the heavy footsteps behind her stopped. 

“Dedue! Get him out of here!” Her stoic lion looked down at his liege with a grimace before stooping to pick him up. Once the Prince of Faerghus was slung over his shoulder he said, “Please, be careful, Professor.” She nodded and urged them on before turning back towards the monastery wall where the stream of Imperial soldiers just wouldn’t seem to end. She took out several soldiers that were trying to go after her retreating students.

_I was foolish to think it would be this easy. I’m a fool._

“BY!” Sylvain’s cry ripped through the air and her heart sank. Emery roared and landed near her. 

“Sylvain! Didn’t you hear the call to retreat?! Gather as many as you can and go. I’ll try to buy you enough time to get away.” Sylvain dismounted and ran toward her. “What are you doing?! You need to go!”

He tackled her in a hug and she pounded against his shoulders with her fists. His voice was frantic and pleading as he said, “Come with me. We’ll get on Emery and we’ll go together! Please… come with me. I can’t lose you!”

The thunder of what seemed like thousands of footsteps echoing filled her ears as tears threaten to spill from her eyes. “You promised!” She pushed him back and yelled, “Now go! Get Fe and get out of here!” Sylvain’s eyes pleaded with her as he reached out for her again. “GO!”

She heard the sound of a wyvern landing behind her. She turned and saw Rhea and Seteth dismounting. She glanced over at Sylvain, who was slowly backing up toward Emery. Seteth shouted, “You need to flee. We will hold them off as long as we can so they do not pursue you.” Sylvain sent her one last longing look before he turned and lifted himself into Emery’s saddle. Emery roared as she took to the skies. _I still need to know if he meant what he said…_ she shook the thought away. _I promised I’d make it through this. We’ll talk when I’m done._

Byleth looked down at the thousands of soldiers spilling through the gates. She put a hand on the Sword of Creator to draw it, but Rhea put a hand on her shoulder. Rhea walked past her and looked back to her with a soft smile as she said, “Everybody here, young and old, is in your hands.”

“Rhea? What do you plan to do?” Seteth’s voice was panicked as he walked toward the Archbishop.

She shook her head softly and said, “I will not allow another Red Canyon Tragedy to happen here.” Rhea’s pupils turned to slits as a green light surrounded her body. Seteth shouted her name as Byleth took several steps backward. The green light grew brighter and Rhea’s form expanded until the green light faded and in her place was a familiar looking white dragon.

“Rhea is the Immaculate One?!” 

Seteth’s head swiveled to her and his eyes were wide with fear. “We must get as many of the students and knights out of here as possible. I do not know how long she can hold that form!” Seteth grabbed her arm and began to pull her in the direction of his anxious wyvern as a bloodcurdling roar sounded out behind them.

They were swept off their feet by wind as massive wings carried Rhea into the sky. Seteth grunted and pulled her to her feet as she glanced back at the ginormous white dragon flying through the air. It crashed to the ground in the midst of the Imperial troops and let out another angry roar. Red energy formed in Rhea’s mouth and a blinding light beam shot forward, taking out anyone in its path. 

She ran toward Seteth’s wyvern, who was throwing her head around and roaring as Seteth desperately tried to calm her. Seteth mounted and held out a hand to her as several roars sounded out from the monastery gates. Seteth’s eyes widened and Byleth turned to see several demonic beasts charging toward Rhea. Her chest tightened and she glanced back at the fleeing students and knights.

Seteth sadly whispered, “Rhea…” His green eyes shone with tears.

“Go, Seteth.” His eyes swayed from the scene below them to her. “I’ll help her. You get everyone out of here.”

“Byleth… no!”

“Flayn needs you. Go!” Before she could second-guess herself, she ran down the hill toward Rhea. Seteth screamed her name, but she blocked it out, focusing on the demonic beasts that were tearing into the white dragon’s… Rhea’s… flesh. _Rhea is the only one who has the answers I seek. Rhea is the only one who can tell me what I am, and what she did to me. Rhea can't die here._ They tackled Rhea into a nearby wall, and the stone began to crumble.

With a yell, she flung the Sword of the Creator toward the closest demonic beast, crushing some sort of mask. It became disoriented and Rhea batted it away with a monstrous clawed limb, causing it to fell over the nearby cliff. As Rhea thrashed around, trying to beat off the other demonic beasts, she continued to run forward. Her only thought was keeping Rhea safe. The Immaculate One was the monastery’s only hope. Rhea was the only one with all the answers. She unleashed the Sword of the Creator again and pulled off another demonic beast, clearing Rhea to shake of the rest. She flew out of the way as the wall behind her crumbled, crushing the demonic beasts.

Rhea landed in front of her, and in a distorted voice cried, “Why did you come?!”

The hair on her arms raised as powerful magic filled the air. She turned in time to see the mage who had saved Monica cast a huge ball of dark energy straight toward her. She raised the Sword of the Creator to try and dispel it, but as it struck her, her whole body spasmed. It felt like her veins were on fire, and she couldn’t hold in her pained scream as she slid backward toward the cliff. 

She dug in her heels, using the last of her energy, and came to a stop right at the precipice of the canyon below. Rhea let out a panicked roar as the ground beneath Byleth’s feet began to crumble. She leapt forward, but grasped only air as she began to fall. She called on the power to turn back time, but horrendous pain burned in her veins and the edges of her vision darkened. 

With a desperate cry, she launched the Sword of the Creator forward, attempting to lodge it into the stone of the cliff to stop her fall. With hardly any strength behind it, the blade ricocheted harmlessly off the stone and red orange light filled her vision. Pain sprouted in her ribs, and then all she saw was sky. Tears floated above her as wind roared in her ears.

_I’m so sorry…_

Everything faded to black.

~Sylvain~

The multitude of thunderous footsteps and battle cries seemed to shake through his chest as he cast one last glance at Byleth. Her skin was so pale and blood trickled from her nose, but the Ashen Demon mask was firmly back in place. The only time it had cracked was when she had pushed him back. The desperation in her voice as she begged him to go and get Felix and get them both out of here was the only reason he was getting into Emery’s saddle.

Byleth, Seteth, and the Archbishop stood watching as an entire army spilled through the barrier of the monastery. As powerful as he knew the three to be… _all hope is gone._ He shook the errant thought away and scanned the battlefield as Emery slowly flew.

“Sylvain!” Ingrid’s shout had him turning in the saddle to find where it had come from. She stood and waved her arms in the air and he caught sight of her, Mercedes, and…

“FELIX!” Sylvain shouted as Emery dove toward the ground, landing nearby so he could jump off the saddle. There was a slash in his armor, showing a bloody gash across his abdomen. An arrow protruded from his thigh and as Mercedes pulled it out, Felix hissed and cursed enough to make the young priestess blush.

Felix growled, “Where in the fuck is Byleth?” 

Amber eyes searched his, and he had to look at Mercedes as he replied, “They called the retreat. She’s staying behind with the Archbishop and Seteth to buy us time to get out. Here, I’ll get you—”

“We have to go and get her!” Felix tried to stand, but Ingrid and Mercedes each took a side and held him down. 

The ground seemed to shake as a monstrous roar split the air. Screams of panic sounded out around them from the fleeing students, as people glanced over their shoulders and saw the giant white dragon taking flight.

“What the fuck is THAT?!” Felix’s eyes were wide, and using his distraction, Sylvain picked him up and walked toward Emery’s saddle. 

Mercedes called out, “We’ll meet you at the village! I’ll stay close with Ingrid. Yell if he passes out.”

“Will do, Mercedes.”

“No! Where’s Byleth?!” Felix tried to get out of his hold, but hissed as the action hurt his wound. “We have to find her!”

“We promised we would listen to her—”

“Staying here is suicide! There’s a fucking dragon and an entire ARMY!” Felix’s eyes were wide and pleading and Sylvain had to look away, fighting the urge to go back himself. _I made a promise. I trust her._ The yells of the approaching army were getting closer. They had to get out of here, especially with Felix injured.

“We have to go, Fe.” 

Emery’s head was swinging side to side and she kept making some sort of huffing noise. “Shhh… It’s okay, Em. We’re going to get out of here.” Each time the monster roared, Emery huffed and batted her wings. Sylvain carefully put Felix in the saddle and climbed up behind him. They took off and Sylvain caught a glimpse of the white dragon landing in the midst of the soldiers. Some sort of energy beam spewed from its mouth, decimating the Imperial soldiers that were swarming the area. He turned Emery in the opposite direction as quickly as he could and followed Ingrid’s pegasus toward the village.

“What the fuck is happening?” Felix’s voice was a pained whisper in front of him and he lightly placed his head on top of Felix’s. “She has to get out of there… I can’t believe we just left her.”

“She made me leave, Fe. I tried to get her to come with me, but she begged me to get you and get out. We just have to trust that she’ll be alright.”

Felix scoffed weakly and turned his head to look at the fleeing students and knights below them. “I don’t think I trust anything anymore.”

They landed a couple minutes later, just outside the village. Members of Byleth’s mercenary crew rushed toward them, immediately assessing for injuries. Byleth’s right hand (Joel?) ran up and asked, “The boss?”

Sylvain shook his head. “Stayed back to try and buy us time to flee.”

Joel nodded grimly, then helped him carry Felix to a makeshift medical tent were knights and students with any sort of faith training were tending to the wounded. “I’ll have our guys set up a perimeter around camp. We need to make sure they don’t send anyone after you guys.” Sylvain felt a chill go down his spine as he nodded and watched Joel exit the tent. _Would Edelgard really do that? Would she hunt us down as we fled? She’s already won, she has the monastery._

Mercedes rushed into the tent just after Joel left and took in all of the people with wide eyes and shaking hands. Sylvain walked up and put his hands on Mercedes shoulders, trying his best to smile. “Hey. Deep breaths.” She wrapped her arms around his armored waist and let out a shaky sob. He wrapped his arms around her and let her cry for a moment, before she took a few deep breaths and composed herself. 

When she leaned back, she gave him a sad smile and said, “I’m sure the Professor will come soon.”

He clenched his jaw and nodded, before dropping his arms back to his sides. He walked out of the tent and searched the incoming group of people for green hair. Ingrid came and stood at his side. “Should I fly back and try to find more survivors?”

He glanced up at the monastery, and watched the smoke billow up into the clouds. “No. We shouldn’t risk it. Byleth said to wait here for her and Seteth if things turned for the worse, so that’s what we’ll do.” 

She nodded grimly and stared in the direction of the monastery. “I can’t believe it’s come to this.” She sighed and the corner of her eyes filled with tears before she wiped at them angrily with her sleeve. She cleared her throat and said, “Have you seen His Highness? Did he…?” She tensed slightly, and looked like she didn’t know how to ask.

“I don’t know. He helped us take down the Death Knight, and then took off after Edelgard.” 

“Wait… is that…” Ingrid took off running, and Sylvain looked off into the distance and spotted Dedue with Dimitri slung over his shoulder. The poor vassal looked rough, his face was red and he was breathing heavily as they approached.

Sylvain said, “Here, let me take him.” Dedue tried to help transfer Dimitri to him, but Sylvain wasn’t strong enough. “Holy shit! How did you carry him that far!” Ingrid grabbed Dimitri’s arms and they shuffled toward the tent until some knights ran over to help.

Ingrid worriedly asked, “What happened? Is he alright?”

Dedue followed slowly after them, and dropped to the ground beside the bedroll when they finally got Dimitri situated. In between pants he said, “The Professor… His Highness would… not leave… she knocked him out… ordered me to get him out.”

“She WHAT?!” Ingrid looked thoroughly scandalized as she looked down at the exhausted Duscur man and the Crowned Prince of Faerghus.

Dedue shook his head. “It was… the only way. His Highness…” He didn’t finish the sentence, he just shook his head and looked down at his liege. “The Professor… once told me… It is better to live to fight another day… His Highness will still get his revenge.” 

Mercedes rushed over and knelt down next to Dimitri. She examined him, closing up small gashes here and there before nodding. She moved over to kneel next to Dedue. “Do you have any injuries? Anything I need to look at?” Dedue shook his head. “Alright. Get some rest. I’ll go and get you some water.”

Sylvain glanced around the medical tent. It looked like the only major injuries were Felix, Caspar, and Dimitri when it came to the students. Linhardt was hovering around Caspar, who had a sizable gash on his head and an injured leg. They met eyes and Linhardt called over, “Anything from the Professor?” 

Sylvain shook his head. “She stayed back to try and buy some time.”

Linhardt sighed and nodded his head, looking something akin to disappointed. “How very… her.” He shook his head and put a hand to his chin. “Did you see the dragon? That was quite something.”

“How do you not see a giant fucking dragon?” Felix spat as he stood from his bedroll. He had bandages wrapped around his torso as he pulled on his bloodstained light tunic. He scoffed and said, “I’m going to keep watch for Byleth.”

“Fe, you’re still pale. You lost a lot of blood. You should—”

Felix yelled, “I’m keeping watch for Byleth! Are you coming or not?!” Ingrid let out a sad sigh and shook her head, and Dedue bowed his head. 

“I’m coming, Fe.”

~Felix~ 

All of them looked at him with something like pity after he said he was going to keep watch for Byleth. He knew it was practically suicide for her to stay behind, but they didn’t have to act like they already thought she was dead. They had all watched her cut a hole in the fucking sky! She could handle Imperial forces. 

Right?

He stomped out of the tent and Sylvain trailed out after him. The rest of the students were a little ways off, standing there watching the flames up at the monastery. Smoke rose above it, and they were close enough to hear the yelling of the troops. _We need to leave here… Where is Byleth?_

Flayn walked up and frantically asked, “Did either of you see my brother?” Her eyes were wide and her face was pale. Her bottom lip trembled as she looked up at them.

Sylvain nodded. “I saw him with Byleth and the Archbishop. He said they were going to try and buy us time to retreat.”

She whimpered softly and turned back toward the monastery. She clasped her hands in front of her chest in prayer and whispered, “Oh goddess, please let him return safely.”

Dorothea was holding a crying Bernadetta and staring up at the monastery in horror. Ashe and Annette were standing off to the side, whispering softly to one another. Her father hovered awkwardly several feet away. _What will Annette do? Go back to Dominic?_

More of the Knights of Seiros were coming towards their camp, each of their faces held fear and worry as they cast furtive glances over their shoulders. _What will the Knights of Seiros do? Where will they base if they don’t have the monastery? How will they fight a war without it?_

_WHERE IN THE HELL IS BYLETH?_

Wingbeats could be heard from the direction of the monastery and various knights called, “It’s Seteth!” Flayn ran forward calling out for her brother, and as soon as his wyvern landed, he took her into his arms. They both fell to their knees as everyone circled around them.

Seteth, the normally stern advisor, was trembling and pale. Flayn stroked his hair and stammered, “Brother? Brother what is wrong?”

Felix yelled, “Where’s Byleth?!” Sylvain grabbed his arm with a painful grip as his face paled. 

Seteth raised his head and Flayn wiped away a tear that trailed down his cheek. “Byleth and Rhea… they… they’re gone.”

Felix’s heart stopped and Sylvain’s grip on his arm became bruising. “What the hell do you mean they are gone?!” He shook off Sylvain and stomped up to the advisor, but Ashe and Sylvain rushed forward to hold him back. More people rushed out of the medical tent due to the commotion, including the boar and his lapdog. “What do you mean she’s gone?!”

Seteth had tears streaming down his face as he said, “They charged into battle, and a mage struck Byleth with magic. She…” He shuddered and Flayn wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close. He cleared his throat and continued, “She fell off the cliff. I tried to reach her, but there were too many archers and mages. I couldn’t get through. I lost sight of the Archbishop and…” He threw his hands over his face and muttered, “They’re gone. They’re both gone.”

The boar fell to his knees with an agonized cry and his lapdog dropped at his side. Felix was too busy shaking his head to really process anything. The sounds of people crying and asking frantic questions pounded against his skull until he yelled, “Take me! Let’s go!”

Seteth shook his head and looked up at him. “What are you—”

He was yelling, and he couldn’t stop it. “Take me to where she fell! We have to find her!”

Seteth’s features split with pity as he slowly stood. “Mr. Fraldarius… she fell off a cliff. There’s no way—”

“She cut a hole in the FUCKING SKY! We were there! If she can do that, she can survive a fall. She can’t be gone. She can’t be!” His breathing was too fast, and his head was swimming as he stumbled toward the Archbishop’s advisor. “Take me! I have to find her!”

“Fe…” Sylvain’s voice was soft and defeated behind him. “… you don’t want to see whatever’s down there.”

He whipped around to face the redhead. “She’s out there! She can’t be gone! She promised!” Sylvain walked toward him and tried to hug him, but he pushed him away. “Stop looking at me like that! She’s out there! We have to find her!”

“That… woman…” the boar’s voice was icy as he stared down at his hands “She’s taken everything from me. My father, my step-mother, my friends, my…” he trailed off as he slowly raised his head. “She will pay for taking our Professor from us. She’ll burn in the eternal flames!”

“Shut up, Boar! Don’t act like you fucking care!” Felix tried to run toward him, but Ashe and Sylvain grabbed him again. “Let me go! Let me fucking go!” 

“The Professor… she’s gone?” Bernadetta had tears streaming down her cheeks. What are we going to do?!” Dorothea’s face was sullen as she hugged the scared archer.

“She’s not gone! Stop saying she’s gone!” His voice was higher than he meant it to be as he screamed. Bernadetta shrieked in terror, and Dorothea shot him a stern glare that said she felt bad for him but also she wasn’t scared to roast him on the spot. He was finding it hard to care. 

Ingrid walked up, slowly shaking her head. “Felix, I’m so sorry…”

“Stop! Don’t say that! Seteth!” He rounded on the advisor, “You have to take me! I have to find her!”

Gustave stepped forward and his deep solemn voice carried through the crowd as he said, “The Imperial Army has taken control of the monastery. It would be too dangerous to go.”

As if they were summoned by the deadbeat’s words, voices called out, “Imperial forces approaching!”

“Damn.” Seteth gritted out a curse and looked at him. “You need to get out of here! We’ll keep them from pursuing you.”

Felix screamed, “No! We’ll fight them off! We can’t just leave her!” 

Someone slapped a hand on his shoulder and he turned to see Joel, Byleth’s right hand. “Boss’ last orders were to get you all to Fraldarius if anything happened to her.”

“We can’t just leave her!”

Joel’s eyes narrowed as his grip tightened on his shoulders. “She said to use force if necessary. If she’s alive, she’ll be able to fend for herself. I’ll send men to start searching.”

Seteth nodded and added, “The Knights of Seiros will search, as well. I’ll send word if we find her, Felix. She wouldn’t want you dying here.”

He croaked, “No! We can’t leave!” His eyes were burning as he tried to pull away from Joel’s grasp, but the man held firm, and Felix was tired and injured. “She can’t be gone… she can’t be…”

Sylvain stepped in front of him and whispered, “This is what By wanted, Fe. She asked us to take care of everyone, right?”

Weapons started clashing as knights and mercenaries began to fight off the Imperial troops. Joel ran off and started yelling orders to his crew as Seteth sent Flayn away on his wyvern. Sylvain grabbed his arm and dragged him toward Emery, and he couldn’t seem to find the energy to fight it anymore. His body was tired, his wounds ached, and he felt so heavy. Sylvain mounted behind him, and he slumped his weight back against the red head. “She promised, Syl… She can’t be gone…”

Sylvain trembled and wrapped his arms tightly around his waist. A tear rolled down his neck as Sylvain tucked his head into Felix’s shoulder. If his own tears fell, they were carried away by the wind. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter of Bottom of the Well. For the sake of accurate tags, ratings, etc. I'm going to be breaking this up a bit. I encourage all of you to hit subscribe under my page so you always have the updates when I post them. 
> 
> I plan on writing a few chapters for the time skip. From here on out, there will be spoilers for the other routes. Mainly the end of Verdant Wind. (Details about Byleth, the Relics, Nabateans, etc.) I encourage you to play it if you have not. If you don't want spoilers, you'll want to play it.
> 
> Thanks for tagging along for all of this! I'll post the first chapter of the time skip under the title "After the Fall". Keep an eye out for updates on our favorite Faerghus boys and what they are doing while their homegirl sleeps.


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